So Haman got the robe and the horse. He robed Mordecai, and led him on horseback through the city streets, proclaiming before him, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!”  - Esther 6:11 This verse is a perfect recap of what has been going on...

It’s like he’d rehearsed this moment for years… His dreams are about to come true… He’d seen this scene play out in his mind before. He’s wanted it so badly he, at times, could almost feel the weight of the royal robe around his shoulders. He’s listened long enough,...

Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value the one who speaks what is right. - Proverbs 16:13 We left our drama last week with Haman planning the downfall of Mordecai. The gallow was being built and Haman was happy that, once and for all, Mordecai, who had been a...

“Then Haman said, “Even Queen Esther let no one but me come with the king to the feast she prepared. And tomorrow also I am invited by her together with the king. Yet all this is worth nothing to me, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.” -...

I can almost imagine the scene… A beautifully decorated table adorned with all the king’s favorites. From first course to last course, every detail of this important night was purposely planned and executed. Esther was a queen who knew her king, and her king liked...

I wonder what Esther was feeling as she watched the sunrise on that third day. “On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace…” ~ Esther 5:1 This was the day that Esther would either end up a hero or end up...

Chapter 4 of Esther shows us why Esther needed to be queen. God had orchestrated all things in such a way that, when His people would be in trouble through the evil of Haman, Esther would be there to extend her arm of help toward them. Esther’s help would not be easy....

I stood in the kitchen with one crying baby on my hip and another at my feet, and I watched him walk out the door. Without me. Again. I waited until I heard his car drive away before I crumpled into a pile on the kitchen floor and let the tears trickle quietly down my...

This is it… the week with the famous chapter with that famous verse. “For such a time as this…” It would seem a romantic story to get to this well-known portion of the book, but the truth is, the glamorous, movie-like scenes of banquets and beauty treatments and...

“And the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was thrown into confusion.” Esther 3:15 I don’t know about you, but I am really quick to condemn this king, King Xerxes, for his brash attitude and unfeeling heart at what he has just done. He goes off to...

“In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month…they cast the pur in the presence of Haman to select a day and month. And the lot fell on the twelfth month…” Esther 3:7 One year….did you catch that? The Jews had one year to prepare for the day of their...

Our verses for today are Esther 3:1-4 and Psalm 95:6. We see in the Esther verses that Mordecai has decided finally to stand up for what he believes in. Up until now he has stayed a bit quiet, bowing to the King and keeping his customs and practices in line with the...

I should have listened when my mother told me not to go into the river wearing my brand new, sparkly jelly shoes. Man, I loved those shoes. I loved how they felt and how they looked. Mine were clear slip-ons with sparkles embedded in them, how I imagined Cinderella’s...

I met my husband when I was 40.  At that point, I had not had a date in 10 years. On the day we met, I didn’t hear wedding bells or angels sing. It really wasn’t all that significant or memorable.  I just decided to show up for an outreach our church was sponsoring to...

I have a lot to learn about parenting, but if there’s one thing that I’m sure of, it’s Taco Fridays at the middle school. Friday, I hop in the ol’ minivan, grab a twelve-pack in the drive-thru, and pray hard for the conversations I’ll have. You can learn a lot in...

The verse for today is found in Ephesians 5. I have been thinking about this for a while now and just want to share a couple of things with you. Ephesians 5:15 says “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise.” Why are we to live as wise? Paul tells...

One of my favorite attributes of God is His providence. I could read and talk about it all day, because I don’t have to look far to see how little control I hold over my life. The fact that my lack of wisdom sometimes causes me to make poor decisions makes the truth...

Chapter 1 of the book of Esther is a cautionary tale of the consequences of foolish decision-making.  There are many lessons that we can glean from the foolish choices made by King Ahasuerus in Esther 1:13-18. King Ahasuerus, insulted and humiliated by Queen Vashti,...

I have a younger sister. She’s beautiful, generous, hilarious, and has the best hair ever. That hair… really. She searches high and low for the perfect gifts for her friends, she rarely says “no” when it’s in her power to help, and she loves Jesus with everything that...

Sweet friends, I am so glad to have you join us for our fall study in the amazing book of Esther. It is not a coincidence that we will be going through this powerful book the next six weeks for “such a time as this.” Before we begin, I want you to personally know that...

The book of Esther is a strange book in that it is one of two books in the Bible where God is not mentioned by name. Many people have been bothered by that fact, and some have even questioned whether or not it should have been included in the canon of Scripture....