Fear and Courage in the Book of Esther

We all face fears throughout our lives and it is okay to have fears. There are many examples of spiritual giants in the bible who faced fears and courageously walked through them. Today, we are going to glean wisdom from the example of Esther.

Esther was an orphaned Jew living in Persia being raised by her cousin, Mordecai. Growing up, she could have never imagined that she would one day be queen and save her people, the Jews, from annihilation. But this did not come without facing several fears.

The most pivotal fear she faced occurs when Haman, the highest official under the king, issued a decree to destroy the Jews. Upon learning of Haman’s orders, Mordecai urges Esther to beg the king for mercy and plead for her people. Esther replies with her fear of approaching the king without being summoned because that meant certain death unless the king extended his scepter to spare her life.

Esther had a choice: risk her life by approaching the king or place it safe. Mordecai warned her that if she didn’t make the choice to step up, deliverance for the Jews would come from another place, but her and her family would perish.

What did Esther do?

With the looming annihilation facing their people, Esther knew she had to step out in faith. She had to step out from hiding her Jewish heritage and step out from being fearful. But before facing her fear and moving foward to approach the king, Esther turned to God and leaned on Him for guidance, strength and wisdom during 3 days of fasting.

Turning to God with full confidence in his promises is the KEY to facing our fears.

Solomon wrote in Proverbs 3:5-6,
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take."

That is exactly what Esther did. She was afraid, but with faith in the promises of God, she walked forward into the unknown. Because of her faith in God, she had courage to walk through the door in front of her.

We all have fears we face, but faith provides us with the courage to work through it.

We can draw encouragement and confidence from ‭the Lord’s words in Isaiah 41:10. Here, He tells us,

"Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."

We ARE going to face fears as we journey through this life, and WHEN we do, we can remember Esther's example and turn to God BEFORE we take on that fear...THEN we can walk courageously through that fear because we have faith in the One who promises to never fail us.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The mission of Daily God Gems is to share God's word and be a source of encouragement, peace, love and unity in Messiah. Visit us at www.facebook.com/dailygodgems and www.dailygodgems.com