Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai, “All the king’s
officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman
who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has
but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter
to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called
to go to the king.” Esther
4:10-11
The
old saying goes, “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.” At times, I have
been that fool. No doubt, Esther was overcome with emotion at the news of the
edict, but she also knew that there was a severe consequence for entering the
king’s presence uninvited. Esther’s dilemma: would she perish with her people
or would she perish first? This king, obviously, had no tolerance for
disrespect. After all, consider the queen that she had replaced.
We
are not called to play it safe. We are also not called to act foolishly. I
don’t know where we ever got the idea that nuts were more spiritual than
regular people. I guess from John the Baptist or Jeremiah or someone.
Having
been in full-time ministry for just over 20 years, I have heard a lot of prayer
requests that sound like this: Pray that we’ll have a safe trip. Pray that I’ll
have a safe procedure. Pray that the closing on our house goes smoothly. Pray
that the interview goes well. These are prayers for our convenience and our comfort.
Don’t get me wrong. I pray for people who need prayer. But, sometimes I wonder
if all we really want is a lucky charm, a Saint Christopher medallion to hang
from our rearview mirror.
Maybe
what we really should be praying for is “Help me to emotionally survive a
weekend with my in-laws. Or, Lord, help me find the right neighborhood where I
can be a witness for you. Or, help me find a job that will support the ministry
that You’ve called me to.” (Every believer has a calling. Do you know what yours
is?)
In
all of life’s dilemmas, the bottom line is that we live on a promise: “God has
said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5). Every
believe needs to get to a place where that promise is enough.
Whether
things go our way or not, we can rest in knowing that God is always there for
us, no matter what, and that is enough. Whether the market is on an upturn or a
downturn, God is still on the throne. It may mean that we will have to discover
some things about ourselves and some things about God in the process. If only
discomfort causes us to grow, then God will ruthlessly eliminate our comfort to
get us there.
What
do you need to trust God for today?
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