"Then Mordecai said to answer Esther: Do not think that you will escape in the king's house more than any other Jew. Because if you shut up absolutely at this time, respite and deliverance will come from somewhere else for the Jews; But you and your father's house will perish. And who knows if by this time you have reached the kingdom? And Esther said to answer Mordecai: Go and gather all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me, and do not eat or drink in three days, night and day; I, too, with my maidens, will also fast, and then I will go in to see the king, even if it is not according to the law; and if I perish, let him perish. " (Esther 4: 13-14)
There is an old saying: "you have to take the bull by the horns." And this refers to assuming the role or responsibility when it corresponds to us. There are times when it is not the time to delegate, but to act ourselves, to make our own decisions.
Through the book of Esther and her life, we can learn several things. I think one of the most important that we can consider and that stands out is the issue of responsibility. And when we mention the word responsibility, we refer to what we know as duty or obligation. In this life we have many privileges, but also along with those privileges, obligations come. To have autonomy or independence, we must know how to act responsibly.
It is so impressive to note that in the book of Esther the word God or Jehovah is not mentioned and yet we see it working through every page and every detail that happened there during that moment of history. The words of the proverbial Solomon become true when he says: "Grace is deceitful and beauty is vain. The woman who fears Jehovah will be praised. "
There is no doubt that sometimes, beauty can open many doors. But it must also have a purpose. Beauty accompanied by intelligence can be a powerful weapon. It seems to me that Esther, besides being a very beautiful and intelligent woman, possessed something even more important: a grace and wisdom that came from God. He possessed elegance and aplomb worthy of being imitated. As Solomon says: "the principle of wisdom is the fear of Jehovah." Esther had that fear of God. She was chosen to mark the times of her generation and to transcend through Christian history. I think he had elegance, sanity, humility. She had a position, but she did not let her position as queen raise the fumes, she did not exalt herself.
I do not say that Esther did not feel fear. I am sure that it is because of the first response that he gave to Mordecai. However, when Mordecai sends him to say the words we have used to start this writing, he became aware of the duty he had. Although she knew the risk of going to visit the king without being called, she decided it was the only way she could try to save her people. If she did not act with determination and promptness, if she ignored the suffering that the people of her town were going through, God would send deliverance from another part, as Mordecai had told her, but over her conscience would be the blood of that people. And the conscience is something that we can not keep quiet, because it speaks to us very loudly.
However, when Esther receives those words of Mordecai, she decides to take the risk. But we can notice that it proclaims or raises a fast. And although he does not mention the word God, by logic we know that when we fast, we offer sacrifice and ask for help or intervention from God for some specific things. We do not fast in vain. God gives us direction and purpose. We see that after that fast, Esther appeared before King Ahasuerus and was heard. I believe with all my heart that God had begun to prepare the heart of Ahasuerus without even imagining it. For God always moves the pieces and knows what he does. God went before Esther, in such a way that the king was receptive to what she said and also to what he asked. A strategy could be planned and the Jewish people could defend themselves against the edict that had been promulgated and preserved. God gave victory to Esther and her people.
As believers, we can not be intimidated. Fear can not paralyze us. When we must take a position or take responsibility, we must do it with courage and prudence. If God has sent you to speak to souls, to take His word, to assist and help those most in need, you have to trust in the one who goes with you. Seek her face in prayer, fill yourself with him and walk like the king or princess of God you are. Move under his designs and purposes. Find in your presence the forces to fulfill the mission for which you were entrusted.
If Esther had only beauty or intelligence, she might not have achieved what she accomplished. But Esther was at the center of the Lord's will. He had God in his heart, he was the main axis of his life and his north. She knew that she could not fail God and a people who expected the courage of her to do something. But just as Mordecai told Esther, "you can not shut up, you have to do something." We have to put the action to work. It is not the time to sit or do nothing, when there are many lives that have not yet accepted or know him. There are still many people who are lost without salvation. God gave us a mandate and we have to fulfill it. He promises to be with us and will reward the fidelity we have.
You can be today or the Esther of our times. You do not need a palace or being a king, you only need disposition, presence of God in your life and be obedient. Are you ready to mark the times?
