Trusting God's Plan When You Don't See Him: Lessons From the Book of EstherSample

The old phrase “misery loves company” couldn’t be more true in today’s events. Haman is on top of the world after attending Queen Esther’s banquet with the King. “But when he saw Mordecai at the king’s gate and observed that he neither rose nor showed fear in his presence, he was filled with rage against Mordecai.” (Esther 5: 9)

It’s really telling that Haman was hoping to see fear in the eyes of Mordecai since he knew that Mordecai and the Jews had a death sentence coming. But he saw no fear from Mordecai. Could it be that Mordecai was trusting in God to take care of the situation? Put yourself in Mordecai’s shoes. You know that Haman is responsible for this edict, yet you show no fear. Peace in the middle of the storm is extremely tough, so our anchor in the storm is to trust that God is working behind the scenes, even when we don’t see evidence of that yet. Perhaps Mordecai’s faith in his God is more powerful than his fear of his enemy.

When Haman gets home, he gathers his wife and friends and spends his time bragging about himself. Proverbs 16:18 tells us that pride precedes destruction, and this is certainly on full display here. It's time for a heart check. If you find the need to boast about yourself or something you have done, ask yourself why? Perhaps a seed of insecurity is growing that needs to be addressed. Even when we feel justified in bragging about something that has happened to us, it’s never a good idea for us to boast.

Haman’s wife and friends know just what to say to this shallow man. “Have a gallows built, seventy-five feet high, and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai hanged on it. Then go with the king to the dinner and be happy.” (Esther 5:14) Could it be that Haman’s wife was tired of hearing about Mordecai and wanted him to do something about it? Whatever the reason, Haman LOVED this idea and had the gallows built. Pride in oneself breeds evil toward others.

All of this evil planning is happening and Mordecai has no idea. The enemy is delighting in evil, but while the hammers are striking the nails on the gallows, God is also behind the scenes working to fight for Mordecai. I can’t wait for you all to see what happens next!

Questions:

1. When you feel angry about something, do you find yourself wanting to vent to your friends? What motivates this, and what tends to be the outcome?

2. Have you ever felt the urge to boast to others? If so, what drives you to do so?

3. How can you compassionately navigate relationships with individuals who exhibit signs of insecurity and feel compelled to boast about themselves?