Esther reminds us that God can work through ordinary human choices in extraordinary moments. You do not have to know the whole outcome to do your part. But you do need the humility to seek Him and the courage to obey.
[00:00:37] Welcome to The Bible Speaks with your host Elgin Carelock. The Bible Speaks is a daily podcast dedicated to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, rightly dividing the word of truth, and learning how to apply it to our daily lives. You may contact Elgin at the address given at the end of the broadcast. And now, here's Elgin.
[00:01:02] Brothers and sisters, I welcome you in the name of Yeshua HaMashiach to another edition of The Bible Speaks, where we're studying God's word together. Today's discussion is titled, Esther's Wisdom. Our scriptural inspiration comes from Esther chapter 4 verse 16.
[00:01:29] What do you do when you believe God is asking you to act, but the timing feels wrong, or consequences could be dangerous? Do you rush forward because the need is urgent, or do you step back long enough to seek God's wisdom? That is the tension we find in the story of Esther. Here people were facing destruction, and her next decision could cost her life.
[00:02:00] Yet she understood something we often forget. Courage and preparation belong together. Let us pray. Father God, thank you for your wisdom and for the people you place beside us. Let us pray. Let us pray. Let us pray. Let us pray. Teach us to seek you before we act, to recognize the right moment, and to be courageous when it comes.
[00:02:29] Let our decisions please you, and protect and bless others. In Jesus Christ's name we pray. Amen. Esther was queen of Persia when a decree threatened the Jewish people. Her cousin Mordecai urged her to approach the king and plead for them. But entering the king's presence without being summoned could mean death, even for the queen.
[00:02:58] Esther understood the assignment. What she did not control was the outcome. Her response was not, I am queen, so I have this handled. She told Mordecai to gather the Jews in Susa and fast for three days. She and her attendants would do the same. Then, she said, she would go to the king, even though it was against the law.
[00:03:26] And if I perish, I perish, she said. This is not careless confidence. This is courage informed by surrender. There are three lessons here for us today. First, don't carry a kingdom assignment alone. Esther called her community together. When pressure rises, our phones can keep us constantly connected to information while
[00:03:55] leaving us disconnected from people. Technology, including AI, can help us research and organize. But it can't replace a praying community. James 5 and 16 reminds us to pray for one another. Reach out to trusted believers. Invite them to stand with you. Not because they could make a decision for you, but because you were never meant to face every burden alone.
[00:04:24] Second, make room to hear before you move. Esther called for fasting before approaching the king. The book does not record God speaking audibly to Esther, and it does not name the Holy Spirit as we understand his ministry after Pentecost. Yet her fasting, solidarity, and deliberate action gave Christians a model for seeking God with seriousness.
[00:04:52] Fasting is not a way to force God's hand or earn his answer. It helps us turn down competing appetites and distraction so prayer, scripture, and obedience have our attention. Isaiah 30 and 21 describes guidance that direct God's people in a way that we should walk. We need that kind of discernment,
[00:05:18] not just urgency, emotion, and our own preferred outcome. And finally, do the right thing at the right time. In Esther 5, she did not immediately announce her request to the king. She invited him and Haman to a banquet, then invited them again. By the time she spoke, events had unfolded in a way that exposed Haman's plot.
[00:05:46] The story does not give us a formula promising perfect results whenever we wait. It does remind us that a good purpose still requires wisdom in its execution. This connects us to our earlier conversation in waiting on God and why it's hard to trust God. Waiting is not inactivity, and trusting God does not mean abandoning responsibility.
[00:06:15] Esther fasted, gathered support, prepared her approach, and eventually spoke. Her faithfulness was expressed through action, not frantic action, but considered action. Maybe your decision concerns a strained marriage, troubled child, ministry opportunity, or workplace injustice. You may already know what is right, but before you charge ahead, ask,
[00:06:45] Have I prayed? Have I listened to scripture? Have I sought trustworthy counsel? Am I acting from love and conviction, or fear and a need to control? And once you've discerned the next faithful step, are you willing to take it, even if it costs you something? Esther reminds us that God can work through ordinary human choices in extraordinary moments.
[00:07:12] You don't have to know the whole outcome to do your part, but you do need the humility to seek him. And the courage to obey. So gather your people, pray, fast when appropriate, listen, prepare, and when the moment comes, speak and act with love. God's timing is not an excuse to avoid responsibility.
[00:07:41] It's an invitation to carry it wisely. Our purpose remains the same. Please God and serve others. Lord, give us Esther's courage and humility to seek your direction. Surround us with people who pray, speak truth, and help us discern wisely. Through your Holy Spirit, guide our hearts away from fear, pride,
[00:08:10] and haste. Help us recognize when to wait and when to move. And let our obedience bring protection, hope, and blessing to others. In Jesus Christ's name we pray. Amen. I thank you for spending time with me on today and I look forward to our time together next Sunday. Until then, God bless.
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[00:09:11] at The Bible Speaks Online. You may contact Elgin at P.O. Box 5582, Ocala, Florida, 34478, or by email at thebiblespeaksonline at gmail.com. The Bible Speaks Online. Thank you.