Summoned: Answering a Call to the Impossibleনমুনা

Summoned to Share Sorrow

I often find that if we could flash back, our hindsight would most certainly be 20/20. We would see where we stepped rightly, or where we missed the mark, with clarity. In this passage, we are witnessing the setup of what would be some of the greatest role reversals and plot twists in Jewish history. 

Esther bravely decides to intervene, to go un-summoned before the king and plead for her people. She decides to trust the Lord and take the risk, grasping her own life in her hands to accomplish what God had summoned her for. 

When I became a new believer, I had never heard of fasting. This particular spiritual discipline was not something that was even on my radar in our culture of over-consumption and instant gratification.

What is a fast? A fast is simply a voluntary giving up of food for a while for spiritual purposes. Fasting reminds us of our fragility and of our utter dependence on God. After skipping a meal, my body begins to feel the effects. I’m slightly tired, even a little cranky. I want to satisfy my earthly need for food, but fasting reminds me that I hunger for God and need Him to sustain me. 

When we fast, we say to God, “I am hungry for You and You alone.” We proclaim with our actions that we love Him above all else. In our intentional act of fasting, we seek His will and direction for our lives.