Here we are at the end of our Esther study and I truly hope that you have been able to see this story in a new light. I pray that it has been a blessing to you and a means by which you have grown in your knowledge of God. The story of Esther is a beautiful picture of...

The book of Esther has always been a favorite of mine. When I was young, I loved having a female Bible character I could look up to, but as the years have passed, I love the story because it clearly displays God’s love and protection for His people. We’re nearing the...

After months of waiting, the sun finally broke free from the night and the dreaded day arrived, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar. Yet God, in His amazing involvement in the story of Esther, had “turned the tables.” Though Haman’s evil plan...

Have you ever been in a situation or relationship that seemed hopeless? Maybe you’ve had someone in your life devise an evil plan to hurt you or those you love, and not even a ray of hope can be found in it? Reading through Esther these past eight weeks and studying...

It ain’t over yet. All the events in our story have led us here to the moment when Haman is hanged on the very gallows he had meant for Mordecai. “So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai.” {Esther 7:10} Although I’m a bit squeamish about...

What if God has been orchestrating every single event of life in preparation for what you are about to face? What if this is your time? There is only one you. There is only one person in this world with your exact personality, your heritage, your skills and talents,...

I tried to hide my tears in church that morning. I’m not a crier usually. My husband’s eyes were bloodshot by the time our wedding ceremony was over from the abundance of tears he shed… but me? Nothin’, baby. Not because I wasn’t deeply moved. Plenty moves me to my...

These specific verses from Esther play out in my mind like the scene of the pivotal plot twist in a movie. We have access to the whole story, so we know that the king was contemplating how to honor Mordecai for his loyalty. We see Haman unintentionally set his own...

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...