A Difficult Day

Have you ever had a difficult day looming in front of you? You may think to yourself, “How am I ever going to do today what is required of me?” Maybe you simply don’t have enough time to accomplish what is expected. Maybe you do  not have the skill or the knowledge base to accomplish what is expected of you, and this fact is causing you no end of stress. Maybe you know that if you try to do what is expected of you, you could really mess this up, and the consequences could be dire.

Esther felt this way in Bible times. She was taken from her relative, Mordecai, who was raising her as his own daughter and given to King Ahasuerus to be his new queen. Haman was a high official in the king’s court, and this evil man took on a dislike for all Jews, especially for Mordecai. Now Haman did not realize that Queen Esther herself was a Jew. He continued with an evil plot to kill all the Jews. When Esther found out about all this, she realized the only way to put a stop to this evil plan was to go to the king and plead for her people. However, back in those days, if you went before the king without being summoned, you were put to death unless the king accepted you coming into his presence.

So here is Queen Esther’s dilemma: Go to the king, and he either has you killed off, or you save your people; or do not go to the king, and your people die. Some choice!

Esther was “exceedingly grieved and distressed” (Esther 4:4). I’m sure this was her most difficult day! She knew her life hung in the balance if she did what she knew she should do. Acts 10:38 tells us, “How God anointed and consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with the (Holy) Spirit and with strength and ability and power; how He went about doing good and, in particular, curing all who were harassed and oppressed by (the power of) the devil, for God was with Him.” Jesus knew how to always do the right thing.

The thing Queen Esther needed to remember is the same thing we need to remember when it looks like we cannot get through an extremely difficult day. We are not alone! Queen Esther was not alone when she went before King Ahasuerus, and we are not alone as we tackle the difficult challenges of our day. Our God is with us! Joshua 1:9 tells us, “Have not I commanded you? Be strong, vigorous, and very courageous. Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear not (there is nothing to fear), for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with my (victorious) right hand of rightness and justice.” Deuteronomy 31:6 also says, “Be strong, courageous, and firm; fear not nor be in terror before them, for it is the Lord your God Who goes with you; He will not fail you or forsake you.”

When Esther went before the king, she could go with confidence knowing that God was with her. She was not walking into the throne room alone. “It is the Lord Who goes before you; He will (march) with you; He will not fail you or let you go or forsake you; fear not, neither become broken (in spirit- depressed, dismayed, and unnerved with alarm)” (Deuteronomy 31:8). Isaiah 52:12 says, “for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard”. We read in Isaiah 58:8, “Then shall your light break forth like the morning, and your healing (your restoration and the power of a new life) shall spring forth speedily; your righteousness (your rightness, your justice, and your right relationship with God) shall go before you, (conducting you to peace and prosperity), and the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.”

We can also tackle the challenges in our lives knowing that we are not walking into them alone. Almighty God has a plan, and He is there to smooth the way for you and work His miraculous power in your life.

In Bible times, the Syrian king had sent “horses, chariots, and a great army” (II Kings 6:14) against Elisha. Elisha’s servant was afraid and asked Elisha, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” (II Kings 6:15). “(Elisha) answered, Fear not; for those with us are more than those with them. Then Elisha prayed, Lord, I pray You, open his eyes that he may see. And the Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha” (II Kings 6:16,17).

God’s got you covered. Just as He was there for Esther and for Elisha, He is there for you. You just need to put your trust in Him and let Him show you His mighty power in your life. Oh, and to finish Esther’s story, she did go before the king, he accepted her coming into his presence, and she was able to save her people. Wicked Haman was hanged on the very gallows he had planned to use on Mordecai. God is always there for His people!