Week 9 - Closing

Well, here we are, at the end of our 9-week study of Esther. I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have. I wanted to give a short summary of Mordecai's and Esther's lives to end our session.

Mordecai
Strengths and accomplishments:
* Exposed an assassination plot against the king
* Cared enough to adopt his cousin
* Refused to bow to anyone except God
* Took Haman's place as second-in-command under Xerxes

Lessons from his life:
* The opportunities we have are more important than the one we wish we had
* We can trust God to weave together the events of life for our best, even though we may not be able to see the overall pattern
* The rewards for doing right are sometimes delayed, but they are guaranteed by God Himself

Esther
Strengths and accomplishments:
* Her beauty and character won the heart of Persia's king
* She combined courage with careful planning
* She was open to advice and willing to act
* She was more concerned for others than for her own security

Lessons from her life:
* Serving God often demands that we risk our own security
* God has a purpose for the situations in which he places us
* Courage, while often vital, does not replace careful planning

Esther's risk confirmed that God was the source of her security. How much of our security lies in our possessions, position or reputation? God has not placed us in our present position for our own benefit. He put us here to serve Him. As in Esther's case, this may involve risking our security. Are we willing to let God be our ultimate security?

In the book of Esther, God blended both character and circumstances to accomplish great things. He has not changed the way He works. God is using the situations we face each day to weave a pattern of godliness into our character. We should pause and ask God to help us respond appropriately to the situation we find ourselves in today.

I look forward to being able to study God's Word with you again in our next study, beginning Monday, February 2nd ~ Lies Women Believe and the Truth That Sets Them Free.