On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance. When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.” “If it pleases the king,” replied Esther, “let the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet I have prepared for him.”

--Parallel verses:
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭3‬-‭6‬
Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

‬‬There is a confidence and a resoluteness of spirit that comes after surrendering all that one holds dear to the Almighty. Some examples of this are: 1) the way Francis of Assisi walked through Muslim territory to speak to the Sultan to broker peace. He could have been killed as an infidel at any time. But he submitted his will and his very life to God’s plan. 2) Elizabeth Elliott and her missionary wife friends walked back into the jungle to share the gospel with the Native people who had brutally murdered their husbands. They did this in an incredible spirit of forgiveness and love, at great risk to their lives. 3) My Cambodian evangelist friend, Paul Nuth, first, after escaping the killing fields and running through the jungles to Thailand, went back to rescue his brother and sister, at great peril. Then, in the mid-1990s, when Cambodia opened back up again, out of an incredible act of forgiveness time and again, he planted over 1,500 home churches, and worked with the government there. Some of these very people were likely responsible for assassinating his parents (and other of his countrymen) earlier in life.

All of these ordinary people showed extraordinary courage in the face of extremely life-threatening situations. And they loved their enemies and forgave those who hurt them.

Esther shows this type of courage as well, approaching the king with her life on the line. And we find that in prayer and fasting, God made a plan, developed in her mind, to win over the king to her side.

I love the principles presented above in the Proverbs 3 verses: 1) Make love and faithfulness hallmarks of your heart! Never leave their company. Cherish them. And you will win favor with God and man. 2) Trust God in all ways, with all things, and acknowledge His Lordship over your life. Don’t be arrogant in thinking you know better than he does. And he will bless you by making your paths straight. God sure gave Esther favor with the king and made her path straight in a stressful situation, with the king’s acceptance to have dinner with her and Haman.

Today, what do I need to do to fully submit to God’s will for my life? Am I facing very challenging situations? Will I seek out God’s counsel in prayer? Will I pray hard — fervently, asking others to pray with me? If I do these things, I am promised favor with God and man, and his straight paths.

Lord, thank you that you understand my heart needs before I even recognize them. The main one is my need to fully surrender to your plans of greatness in life! Lord Jesus — YOU HAVE MY WHOLE HEART TODAY! Take me and use me to reflect your glory in a world fallen and without hope.