Esther is not only a role model for young women, but for everyone. We all know her story. The king gets mad and throws out the queen, just because she refused to dance around naked in front of his party guests. Then he sets out to find a new queen. Esther, along with hundreds of eligible young women are gathered from throughout the kingdom for the king to choose from. Esther is chosen. Then The king's right hand man, Haman, plots against the Hebrew people. He didn't like them to begin with, and now he's going to try to get rid of them. Esther's cousin, Mordacai, hears about the plot and tells Esther. She was made for "such a time as this" and Mordacai encourages her to do what is right.
Here's where Esther's courage steps in. She doesn't act right away. She is honestly and genuinely afraid. She could die for coming before the king unannounced. Instead she works her way into the king's favor. He already likes her. He chose her from among thousands. They probably got along really well. She fasts and prays for days before going before the king. She seeks to do the right thing. But, I also believe her prayers were full of asking God to soften the king's heart. When she does go before the king, he grants her mercy and asks what she needs. I think just getting that far zapped her courage. She invites the king and Haman to a feast. At the feast, she invites them both back again. She is biding her time. waiting for the right moment to tell the king everything. Finally, on the second night, Esther steps up and tells the king everything.
The king is furious. His temper flares again. Except this time, it's not against the queen. It's at his right hand man. Haman is out, the Hebrew nation is saved, and all because a young queen had the courage to stand up against what was wrong.
What can we take away from Esther's story? Have courage. Even when it's hard, when the situation is tough, stand your ground. Stand up for what is right. Pray and seek God before you act. It's easy to say but I think Esther's story shows us that it's ok to be scared and to hesitate. The story shows us that having courage is a hard thing, but the reward is great and the consequences can be great as well. The Scriptures tell us in many places to have courage. (Deut. 31:6, Josh. 1:6-7,9, Acts 27:22, 1 Cor. 16:13) If God said it so much, He must really mean it. This is one of the hardest characteristics to have. We all struggle with doing what is right, especially when it's not what everyone else is doing. But the Word remains the same, "Be strong and take courage"!
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