TODAY’S SPECIAL: Esther 2:12-18
TO CHEW ON: "Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti." Esther 2:17
Esther gathered the few possessions she was planning to take with her. She said goodbye to Hegai and all her friends in the harem. This was the night she would go to the king. She would never come back to live here again. For after this night, the king would either choose her as his new queen or she would be sent to live in another part of the palace.
Even though this night was the most important night in her life, Esther kept things simple. Though she could have taken anything she wanted from the harem to impress the king, she didn’t do that. Instead she took only what Hegai suggested.
But when Xerxes saw her, he was charmed with her natural beauty. In fact she pleased him more than any other woman. The king liked Esther so much, he named her his new queen.
When we read on in the story, we will find that God had a special reason for Esther to become queen. And because God was with her, she didn’t have to manipulate things to gain the king’s favor. God took care of that.
God has a special place for each one of us to fill. He has a special place for you. When you are in the place that God has planned for you to be, you can trust Him. Don’t give in to the temptation to make things happen on your own. God can make it happen. Just like God gave Esther favor with the king, He will give you favor with the people you need to impress.
PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to trust You to bring me favor when I need it. Amen.
MORE: Persia
Esther became the queen of Persia. The date was 479 BC. Using Bible maps, books and/or the internet find out about Persia.
- Where was it?
- What was the religion of the country?
- What kinds of clothes did the people wear?
- What foods were popular?
- What is the present name of the country that used to be Persia?