In July of this past year, my husband and I celebrated ten years of marriage. It was a milestone we both were excited to celebrate, and it was only because of God.
As I reflected on the last ten years, I realized that we had learned so much, accomplished so much, and still have so much more to go. I thanked God for every season, for every valley, for every desert, and of course, for every mountain top.
But, while reading the word one day, I came across a story that I had read multiple times, yet this time, the words jumped off the page. It made me look at how I dealt with situations in the past and how I want to deal with them in the future.
In the bible, Esther was a young Jewish woman who found favor with the king. She became a queen and risked her life to save the Jewish people from destruction. What jumped out at me was her strategy. In those days, no one could go before the king unless he specifically asked for them. So, Esther going to him without permission was a big deal.
Here was her approach
She fasted: For three days, she and all the Jews in the city fasted, giving her time with the Lord. It built her confidence, it gave her strength, and it gave her wisdom. In prostrating her heart, she made room for the Lord to have His way versus dealing with the issue emotionally.
She served: When Esther entered the inner courts, the king welcomed her. Seeing she was in good standing, she could have told him her worries. Instead, Esther invited him and his official Haman to a banquet. She said nothing about her request, her wants, or her concerns. She just served.
She served again: By this time, the king had already asked her twice what she wanted, and with two opportunities given to her, all she did was invite the king and his official to another banquet. She waited.
She Spoke: At the second banquet, when the king asked for a third time what she wanted, she asked for the sparing of her life and the life of all the others Jews. Her grace, patience, faith, and obedience, allowed her to confidently, speak up.
While she fasted, prayed, and took every step with humility and wisdom, God orchestrated His ultimate plan. He was softening hearts, moving mountains, and exposing transgressions. Esther sought the Lord first, which gave her the blueprint for how to handle the situation. Then, she was obedient. Did I mention that Haman was the one who ordered the destruction of the Jews? She served the man who ultimately wanted her killed.
Many times, my husband and I, were met with a situation or discussion, and if I'm being honest, I responded emotionally. In my anger, or hurt, I didn't want to fast and wait three days, let alone serve the man, but it's what caught my attention. I looked back at the last ten years and wondered if I had approached circumstances differently, would I have had a different outcome?
And not to dwell on the past, I was grateful that God opened my eyes to see how moving forward, praying, fasting, and waiting on God was the priority. Prostrating my heart to God symbolized my faith and trust in knowing He would orchestrate His master plan. He would soften hearts and move mountains.
Today, I challenge you to consider approaching a situation differently. Fast, pray, and wait before you speak, move, or act. That way, when you're on the other side of the situation, you don't have to wonder, Had I approached this situation differently, would there be a different outcome?
Reflection
Waiting is not easy when you're angry, hurt, or scared. But, sometimes, that's what God wants us to do. Serving, is not easy when you want to give them a piece of your mind and not a moment of your time. But, sometimes, that is what God wants us to do.
Reading His word gave me the best way to deal with issues that arise. I'm excited to see what other blueprints God has in the bible.
Please read the book of Esther to see how cool the story ends.
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