![]() Amy began sharing a process she was learning and writing about: listen, feel, do, speak. The beginning took place several years ago in our everyday friend conversations. Lynn: It’s funny this Esther Bible study came out of a pile of rejection letters! But that’s not really where the story began. Why did you write a study on the book of Esther? In this Q&A, Lynn Cowell ( and Amy Carroll ( talk about their new Bible study book in the InScribed series, Esther: Seeing Our Invisible God in an Uncertain World (HarperChristian Resources, 2022). a public relations and crisis communications firm located in Irving, Texas.InScribed is a collection of Bible studies that lead women to not just survive but thrive by encouraging them to immerse themselves in the Word of God. She serves as President of the LJR Group, Inc. She is a wife, mother, prayer warrior, poet and “Chief Inspiration Officer” for. Her career spans radio and television reporting, public relations and public affairs consulting, motivational speaking and leadership development. Lisa Brown Ross is an author and award-winning writer. And, the best thing we can do for our lives is to search for and surrender to his will. God is in control of every aspect, whether we want him to be or not, and there is nothing that is not subject to him ( Hebrews 2:8 NIV). Lesson #6: God uses everything and everybody for his divine purpose She acted in obedience and by doing so she saved a nation and received the best. The reality is that Esther didn’t know what would happen when she approached the king. Lesson #5: God demands obedienceĮsther’s obedience saved God’s people from genocide. When we need God’s grace, fasting and prayer opens the portals for spiritual growth, removes distractions and places us on a path to humility. But Esther was clear that in this particular situation, a heavenly response was needed for an earthly situation. God is not mentioned in the Book of Esther even once. Lesson #4: Fasting and prayer brings clarity and hope for deliverance Sometimes we must stand in courage, even when it is not popular to do so, and risk it all. Esther was willing to die to save her people. And if I perish, I perish” ( Esther 4:16 NIV). “I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. Here are six lessons from the book of Esther that we can each apply to our living. This dramatic unfolding of events moves like a novel and played like a great chess game with several life lessons. The Jewish people were saved, Haman was hanged on the same gallows that had been prepared for Mordecai, and Esther received Haman’s estate. Following the fast she put on her best royal robes, approached the king, and told him of Haman's plot against her people. So what does she do? Before making a life or death decision, she calls for the Jewish people to join her on a 3-day fast. Anyone who came into the king’s presence without being summoned could be executed. In other words, Mordecai lets Esther know that even her outer beauty was for a reason and would not go to waste!Įsther knew, of course, that going to the king unsolicited could be her death sentence. In one of the most poetic Biblical passages, Mordecai speaks of God’s purposeful timing: “Who knows but that you have come to a royal position for such a time as this?” ( Esther 4:14 NIV). Mordecai persuaded Esther to speak to the king on behalf of the Jewish people reminding her of her unique place in history and that silence is not an option. Did his affection for her wane? Was she a powerless sex partner? Of all the Jews, only Esther had access to the king. What could the queen do for her people? The king had not requested her presence in a month. In return, Haman announced a government-issued edict of genocide. The king gave him authority to handle the fate of the Jewish people. Haman told the king, “There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom whose customs are different from those of all other people and who do not obey the king’s laws it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them” ( Esther 3:8 NIV). He hated Mordecai for refusing to bow down to him, so he plotted to destroy the Jewish people. Haman is a vengeful and egotistical advisor to the king. Of course there is a scoundrel in the story, too. She charmed King Xerxes so much that after deposing his prior queen, he could have chosen any woman he wanted-but he chose Esther. I imagine Esther as a drop-dead gorgeous woman with flawless olive skin and a tantalizing personality. Mordecai, however, didn’t tell the king about a major detail-Esther’s Jewish heritage. She was taken to the King of the Persian Empire to become a part of his harem-but because there was something special about Esther, he made her queen. As scripture reveals, Esther is a Jewish woman living in Persia and reared by her cousin Mordecai.
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