In Despair

Have you ever felt so defeated?  Have you ever been in total despair over your circumstances?  Have you just ever wanted to just give up?  Have you ever been hurt?  It takes time to recover from being hurt or in despair.  Sometimes we carry the scars of the pain that we’ve had to endure.  Sometimes we even pretend that the pain doesn’t exist.  That’s what Esther had to face in our scripture reading for today.  Today’s scripture is from chapter 4 of Esther.  I encourage you to read it.

Yesterday we talked about Haman and his heinous plot to wipe out the Jewish nation.  Mordecai was so deeply hurt by this evil.  He tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, put ashes on his head and wept.  It tells us that there was “deep mourning among the Jews”.  As a nation, they rallied together and mourned for their nation.  Do we do the same thing when someone takes aim toward the United States?  I feel like we don’t have the same patriotism and devotion to our nation as the Jews did.  Look at our circumstances today.  We just received news yesterday that another journalist was beheaded by the ISIS group.  It saddens me that we as a nation are not more offended.  Do we mourn when a Christian is asked to renounce their faith or lose their life?  In our time of prayer, we should be crying out to God for these individuals.  When are we going to go into "deep mourning"?

Esther sends Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs, to see what is going on.  Mordecai tells Hathach to inform Esther of the plot against the Jews and for her not to think just because she is the king’s wife that she won’t be affected.  It tells us this in verse 13, “Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, ‘Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews.’” And, they didn’t have a lot of time.  He lets her know that now is not the time to be silent.  She must stand up and speak up.  This is so relevant today.  We must, as Christians, stand up and speak up for God.  Not only that, we must stand up and speak up to those who hurt us.  Have you ever been bullied?  I have.  I know what it feels like.  There was a boy that used to hit me and would call me names.  He was a few years older than I was.  I never told anyone at home.  I didn’t want it to get worse.  And when he moved on to high school, I was so thankful.  I carry those scars around with me.  It’s one of the reasons that I don’t allow my daughter to ride the school bus.  I know, I’m one of those crazy mothers that will take her child to school every morning.  That mother who wastes her gas and wastes the tax payer’s money because she doesn’t utilize the bus.  I’m sorry.  I was traumatized.  It’s something I cannot forget.  I don’t want her to endure the same thing that I had to.  But, I can pray to God that he heal those wounds.  I can make a stand against those that harm others, not just physically, but emotionally.

My most favorite verse in Esther is located here in chapter 4.  Verse 14 says, “…And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”  Do you ever wonder why you have been placed in the circumstances that you’ve been put in?  I volunteer with Capturing Hopes Photography.  We volunteer our time photographing babies in the NICU.  One of my friends is also a volunteer.  Her son spent time in the NICU and she is able to provide family support because of her experiences.  Never underestimate the reasons that God has placed you in your circumstances.  God’s plan will always be accomplished – with or without us.  Will you be obedient to God?  If you refuse, He will simply use someone else and then we’ll miss the blessing.

 

Ultimately, in all of our hurt, there is a healer.  That healer is Jesus. 

The Hurt and The Healer by MercyMe states it so clearly:

“Breathe
Sometimes I feel it's all that I can do
Pain so deep that I can hardly move
Just keep my eyes completely fixed on You
Lord take hold and pull me through

So here I am
What's left of me
Where glory meets my suffering

I'm alive
Even though a part of me has died
You take my heart and breathe it back to life
I fall into your arms open wide
When the hurt and the healer collide”

 

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, thank you for this time spent with Esther.  I’ve learned so much from her already.   Forgive me for those times that I’ve not been obedient to you.  Forgive me for not putting enough trust and faith in you to help heal my wounds.    I pray that you heal the wounds that scar us emotionally.  Help us use those wounds to help others.  Help us to stand up to those who hurt us, as an individual and as a nation.  Don’t allow us to become so complacent that we don’t see the hurt of others.  Again, thank you for your continued blessings.  In Jesus name, Amen.