Esther 4:14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” This episode shows us that no matter what we have done, we can always still turn back to the Lord. It shows us what can happen when we overcome our fears and come to the Lord, even when we don't feel worthy. Music: "Adding the Sun" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Come As You Are Series - Ester
Esther 4:14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
I think the story of Esther is a good one for this series. Esther was a young Jewish woman who found favor with the king and became the queen. Her uncle Mordecai adopted her as his own when she was young, as both parents had died. Mordecai had instructed Esther before she met with the king not to reveal that she was Jewish, and she followed his advice. This story tells about how a powerful vizier to the king, named Haman, wanted to kill all the Jews living in the Persian Empire on one day. You see, he was angry because Mordecai refused to bow down to him. Mordecai explained he only bows down to God, and this angered Haman, who told the king that there were people living throughout his kingdom that did not obey the same laws of the king and that he should not tolerate them. He convinced the king to issue a decree that would destroy the Jews, and upon doing so, Haman agreed to put ten thousand silver talents into the royal treasury.
When the Jewish people heard, they went into mourning with prayer and fasting. Mordecai got word to Esther and explained the situation. He asked Esther to talk to her husband, the king, and beg for the lives of her people to be spared. Esther explained that if anyone goes in front of the king while he is in the inner courtroom without being summoned, they will suffer immediate death unless he offers them the end of the scepter. Mordecai wrote back the following in Esther 4:14 “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”. Esther risked her life to go in front of the king, and because of her bravery, she saved her people, God’s people.
We do not usually know why we end up where we end up or why we go through the things that we go through. God is a mystery, and only he knows what he is doing. He can see the whole picture, past, present, and future. We can only see the past and present. I once heard a quote that I really liked and found comforting during some difficult times. The quote said, “You were assigned this mountain to show others it can be moved.” I found it comforting to think that by making it through the situation, I would show others that they could make it through, too. I also used the quote in reverse and thought, “Ok, then I just need to look for someone who has made it through this type of situation to show me that I could make it through as well.” There is a song by Christina Perri called "I Believe." In that song, she says, “I believe that you fell so that you would land next to me.” Have you ever been in a situation where you could just tell that God arranged it? Sometimes, we can tell what God is doing. Sometimes, we can feel it in our bones that we are exactly where we were meant to be at that precise moment.
The reason I think Esther’s story goes well in this series is that she had to go to the Lord and ask Him to save her people. She needed God on her side if she was going to be able to walk into the inner room where her husband was and not suffer immediate death. She was living as a queen and pretending that she wasn’t Jewish. I can imagine it might have been hard to go to the Lord and ask for something, when she was pretending she wasn’t Jewish. I can imagine she might have wondered if God would answer her prayers. Would he be mad at her for not being honest with those around her? Would he want to punish her for not practicing her religion? I can see how she might not have felt worthy to go to the Lord and ask for help.
Esther knew the Jewish people needed her, and so she rose above her insecurities. She rose above her fear of dying, and she stepped out in faith that God would not let her and her people perish. She stepped out in faith, and she saved her people. Can you relate to Ester? Have you stepped away from God? Have you pretended that He is not there, or that you weren’t His child? It’s ok. Come back to Him, just as you are, and He will welcome you with open arms. I know this is hard to believe, as that is not how those we know in this world behave. This world is broken, and so are the people living in it. We often struggle to forgive and forget. We hold onto things and resent people for the things that they do.
God is not like us. He is for us, not against us. He loves us unconditionally and is just waiting for us to come to him so he can pick us up in His arms and give a giant hug. If you ever wonder what it will be like when you turn back to the Lord. If you ever wonder what God's response will be, you can look in the Bible at Luke 15:20. “ So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.” You don't even have to walk all the way back to the Father. As soon as God sees you headed in His direction, He will run towards you, put his arms around you, and kiss you. That is how much He loves you and wants you to come to Him, just as you are!! Trust that God is for you. Trust that He wants you to come to Him. Trust that no matter what you have done, you can still come to Him.
Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you bless all those listening to this podcast today. Lord, we thank you for making us who we are meant to be. We thank you for placing us in this time of need. We ask that you be with everyone who is struggling right now. Lord, we ask that you give us the strength and perseverance to keep going. We ask that you show us those who have come before us, who have overcome similar circumstances, and give us the knowledge that we, too, can overcome the circumstances. Lord, help us believe that despite all we have said and done, we can still come to you and you will still be waiting for us with open arms. Lord, you are amazing, and we're so very thankful for all you do for us. We love you, Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus ' holy name, Amen.
Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus! I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Especially because I get to bring you my Witness Wednesday from my trip to Ecuador, and I can’t wait to share all the miracles with you. It was a truly blessed time, and I am so grateful that God let me share in these miracles. I hope you will listen in tomorrow and continue to pray for Anibal. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day!
Today’s Word from the Lord was received in June 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today’s Word from the Lord is, “My children, I keep telling you, do not fear. I keep telling you, I am right next to you and I am all-powerful. You may be weak, but I am strong. Move forward in trust. Move forward in my will. Move forward. ”