Esther-part one

This morning I read the book of Esther. I was just going to read chapter 4, but the whole book is really one great story, so I decided to just read the whole thing. The story of Esther is one of those that I began learning in Sunday School when I was really young. And even as an adult the story is a great one, and is full of little nuggets of knowledge. One thing that in particular sticks out is the character of Esther. I've heard many times about how courageous Esther must have been to be able to approach the king, knowing that she could die simply for entering his inner throne room. But today as I was reading, it struck me that Esther actually was not courageous.

Esther actually was practicing faith. Before her audience with the king, she prayed and fasted for three days for the strength to approach him without being summoned. It was faith in God that led Esther down the hallway to her husband, the King. It was faith that kept her going, faith in her God to see her and her people through the nightmare to come. This is an example of faith. Faith is believing when God says "I am with you always." (Matthew 28:20) Notice that Faith doesn't say that courage is with me, it says "God is with me." Even when courage isn't. Faith is being able to do what needs to be done without the courage.

Esther's faith in God saved her life and that of all the Jews. Imagine what your faith could do.