about Esther

Yesterday morning I sat down with my bowl of cereal and propped my iPad up to read from God's Word. I'm on the last few days of a reading plan that I started last January. I have been reading through the Bible in chronological order, which has been very interesting.

Anyway, I opened YouVersion, which just had an update over the weekend, only to see the spinning wheel of death. YouVersion just stayed on it's welcome screen spinning and spinning until it finally closed.

I tried again.

Same thing.

I was a bit annoyed. Stupid YouVersion and their crappy update.

I tried to open it on my phone instead. I mean, the screen is a lot smaller, but at least it was something.

Well, that wouldn't work either. Oh, first world pains. The struggle.

I quickly checked my attitude before it got too bad and decided to pull out an actual Bible.

I do love reading from a paper version of the Bible even though most of the time these days I find the electronic version more handy.

I had no idea what was on the schedule for my reading plan that day so I instead turned to one of my favorite books in the Bible:  Esther.

Now, if you don't know the story of Esther, you should totally check it out. Esther is one of my heroes.

1. She is a princess. Well, she's actually a queen. But, if you know me at all, you know I'm obsessed with princesses and claim to be one. So, I like to say she's a princess.
2. She loves her family. She risks her life for them.
3. She respects her husband.
4. She is brave and kind and wise.
5. Did I mention that she's a princess? I mean, that's just the coolest.

Esther becomes queen with the help of her cousin Mordecai. Everything is going well. Mordecai even uncovers a plot to kill the king. All is well, that is, until the king's right hand man, Haman, sees that Mordecai won't bow down to him. Haman doesn't like that very much. He finds out the Mordecai is a Jew and sweet talks the king into destroying the Jews.

Mordecai begs Esther to help save her people. She wants to, but she's not supposed to go see the king unless he asks her to come. She will die if she goes to see him unwanted unless by chance he grants her favor. Mordecai warns her that she can't escape destruction just because she's in the palace. After all, she might have become queen for a time just like this.

Esther bravely goes before the king and she does find favor in his eyes. He offers to give her anything she wants, so she invites the king and Haman to dinner. At dinner that night she still doesn't request anything more than that they come to dinner again the next night.

Haman is feeling pretty special that he and only he was invited by the queen to come to dinner with the king. That is until he goes out and sees Mordecai at the palace gate. Mordecai still won't bow down to him, and that puts him in a sour mood. He consults with his wife who suggests constructing some gallows to hang Mordecai. Haman hurries to tell the king his plan.

Meanwhile, the king can't sleep and has one of his servants read him the daily logs of palace going-ons. When the servant gets to the page that tells the story of Mordecai saving the king's life, the king asks what was done to honor Mordecai. The servant says that nothing was done for Mordecai, just as Haman walks in the room.

The king says that Haman is there just in time to help him think of way to honor the man who pleases the king. Haman, the proud man he is, thinks the king is going to honor him, so he tells him all of the wonderful things he wants the king to do for him. Oh his surprise when he finds out the king is actually planning to honor his archenemy, Mordecai. 

Haman is forced to parade Mordecai around the next day on the king's horses and wearing the king's robes. At least he has his dinner with the queen to look forward to, right?

Well, little does he know that Esther is ready to beg the king to save her life and the life of her people. She tells the king that an evil man has plotted to destroy them. The king is outraged at this and demands to know who would do such a thing.

Haman tries to back away, but it's too late. He is hanged on the very gallows he built for Mordecai and the Jews are saved.

Esther is a hero because she trusted God to protect her and did the right thing. And Mordecai was honored and ranked almost as high as the king.

I love it. I never want to miss an opportunity that God has called me to. My "time just like this."