Rise Up Like Esther

Posted on April 18, 2024 by Breanna Lutolf

How do you handle stress in your life? Do you binge-watch TV? Are you a stress eater? Or do you stop, pray, and read the Word?

Esther was put in the unique position of queen. She was a humble and obedient woman, and though the Scriptures don’t go into it, I think she could have been a quiet and shy young woman—one who didn’t want to stand out to be noticed but knew deep down she was special. She knew her identity was in God and not man.

As we come into the story of Esther in chapter 4, she learns there’s a plot to kill the Jews. There’s a rule that you cannot walk in to talk to the king, but instead he must call you in. Failure to follow this rule can result in death. Mordecai wants Esther to help the Jews, but Esther cannot go into the king on her own. She is in a difficult and stressful situation. Take a moment and put yourself in her position—perhaps you are right now. Perhaps you are trying to do the right thing or speak up for yourself, but you feel trapped. There isn’t a “good answer”—there is either pain for you or pain for someone else. Which do you choose?

Esther chose God. I love what Esther says in verse 16, “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day . . . then I will go to the King . . . if I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16, ESV). She surrendered her life and her choices to God, but she didn’t do it alone—she asked for help. She asked for her community to pray and fast for her. Doing this showed her humility, as well as her submission to God—praying for a miracle that would save both the Jews and her life. There was no “easy way out.”

How will you handle stress moving forward? I pray that you would take a moment, breathe, and realize you are the daughter of the King. Perhaps God is calling you to gather your community to pray and fast for a situation that only God can handle. Know this dear sister, only He can and only He will.