Esther, Born for Such a Time as ThisChikamu

Esther was a young woman who went through a lot in her life and had many reasons to be sad or bitter. Her parents had died and she lived with her uncle in a foreign land. Her uncle Mordecai, in obedience to the edict of the king, brought her to the palace; and so together with a lot of other girls she was under the jurisdiction of Hegai, who was in charge of the harem. The competition must have been huge. Of course, any girl wanted to be queen, yet it was not exactly a place a young woman might choose for herself; it was not because of a marriage full of romance. The reality was that she would be introduced to a powerful, much older king. Was she lonely? Was she afraid?

Esther knew the God of Israel. Although she was in a strange, new surrounding, she knew that He watched over her. Hegai observed her, too. She was different than all the other girls; she pleased him and won his favor! He showed this by giving her special favors and seven servants who took care of her; she was also given the most beautiful room in the harem. That is how God takes care of you and me. He knows we will have hard times in our life—everyone will have them; but He will also give us rays of hope to shine on our path. Because He loves you and me, His eyes shine upon us. You have received His favor!

Prayer: Dear Father in heaven, thank You so much for knowing all my circumstances. You know when I am afraid or sad. Sometimes I wish my life would be different, but I can be confident that You take care of me, no matter what circumstance I find myself in. Thank You that sometimes there are surprises and rays of hope in my life. Amen.