Royals: Living in the Realm of God's FavorНамуна

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for the opportunity to freely access and study your Word. In the name of Jesus, open the eyes of my understanding as I study your Word. In your mercy, empower me to be a doer of your Word in Jesus' name. Amen.

Esther was an orphan who was forcefully taken away from Jerusalem to a foreign land with her uncle and other Jews. It was as though she was an unfortunate human who had lost favor with God. Howbeit, her experience was preparing her for God’s purpose. Amid tragedy and challenging times, it is easy to think God has forgotten us or we have lost favor with God. We should not forget that our challenges or the storms of life can launch us into God’s purpose for our lives. God often turns what the enemy meant for evil around for our good, and trials also prove that we have a great future (Romans 8:28; Matthew 5:11; Psalm 34:19; 1 Corinthians 16:9).

God indeed made all things work together for Esther’s good. Esther’s God is our God, and God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). If we do what set Esther in the realm of favor, we will live in the realm of favor as well.

Esther Loved God

First, Esther loved God, and the proof of her love was obedience (John 14:23). Esther lived in the realm of divine favor by obeying God’s commandment- honor your father and mother (Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 6:2).

Although Esther was an orphan, her uncle, Mordecai, took her in as a daughter (Esther 2:7), and she honored Mordecai by obeying his instruction to guard her mouth regarding her identity. Esther’s obedience to Mordecai was not a one-time event. Esther 2:20 (KJV) says, "Esther had not yet shewed her kindred nor her people; as Mordecai had charged her: for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai, like as when she was brought up with him."

After becoming a queen, Esther continued to honor Mordecai by still guarding her mouth. She could have thought to herself— I am queen now, I can say whatever and act however I want. Esther continued to honor Mordecai as commanded by God in the ten commandments. She consistently responded to God’s love through obedience.

What empowers us to love God?

Romans 5:5 (NLT) says, “And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” The Holy Spirit is available to help us understand the love of God and grow in love with God giving us access to the realm of unusual favor. When we live conscious of God’s love and grow in love with Him, we will live in right-standing with God, and favor will automatically become our shield (Psalm 5:12).

When we love someone, we spend time with them, think about them, and seek to do right by them. In like manner, we can grow in love with God and express our love for God by spending time with God through prayer and Bible study, living God-conscious, and seeking to do what is right in God’s eyes. Thank God for the Holy Spirit, we do not have to navigate loving God in our strength; we will fall short or become self-righteous when we try to love God in our strength.

I believe praying Ephesians 3:14-21 weekly helps me keep understanding God’s love and growing in love with God. Today, I encourage you to pray the scripture as well. Consider highlighting the scriptures, saving a screenshot, or printing it out for easy reference.