Esther. I love her story. She is amazing. She is bold, brave, and beautiful. She allows her life to be used for God; in turn, he takes an orphaned Jewish girl and raises her up to queen of Persia. God, will you make me queen like Esther one day? Probably not. But a girl can dream. A woman's dreams, however more sophisticated than those of a little girl's, still reflect that of an innocent child's. Matthew 19:14: "Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'"
God made us in his image. Thus so, we are instilled at the core of our being with a love, a potential for power (with Jesus inside us), and a value that God alone can give. The desires of both men and women reflect these truths that we were made to worship God, by reflecting his beauty and accomplishing his will in our lives through the empowerment of the Spirit by proclaiming Christ in words and in actions. In words, we bear witness to the salvation of Christ that belongs to all men. In actions, we love and serve and sacrifice our lives that we may reach the lost for him.
Esther is an inspiring story. Though she seems to at first live life in obscurity as a woman, a Jew, and an orphan, she becomes the most powerful and adored woman in the world at that time. But she is not raised up for her own glory. She is raised up for the glory of God. She would do his will, despite the risk to her own life. Esther 4:15-16: "Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 'Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.'" Esther lived for God and glorified him by risking her life to fulfill his will. Like the apostle Paul, "For to me, to live is Christ, to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21). So it was for Esther, so should it be for us who call ourselves Christians.
What I love most, though, about Esther the woman is her heart. She is captivating. God made it so that she finds favor with whomever she comes into contact. Esther 2:8 and 9 say, "... Esther also was taken to the king's palace and entrusted to Hegai, who had charge of the harem. The girl pleased him and won his favor." Also, in chapter 2 verse 17, we find that, "... the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins." Esther, however, had more than outward beauty. It was not her looks alone that caused the king to favor her as we see later in the story. For all who do not know the story of Esther, let me recap. The antagonist of this piece of history is Haman (well, ultimately Satan). Haman hates the Jews and plots their destruction. Esther, being a Jew and also the queen, is the only one who can save them. So she goes to the king uninvited (which could lead to her death) and asks that he spare her family. The king grants her request. Haman is killed and an edict is passed, allowing all Jews in all the provinces of Persia and Media to fight back, kill, and plunder all those who attack them. After this day of death finally ends, Xerxes, the king, goes to Esther, his queen. Here is what happens: "The number of those slain in the citadel of Susa was reported to the king that same day. The king said to Queen Esther, 'The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman in the citadel of Susa. What have they done in the rest of the king's provinces?'" (Esther 9:11-12). In other words, here's what the king is saying: "Your family the Jews have defended themselves well. Just look at all the destruction and the hundreds of men they have killed in this one city alone. Can you imagine the great numbers of people, my subjects, that they have decimated throughout my entire kingdom?" And here are his next thrilling words: "Now what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? It will also be granted" (Esther 9:12). Despite the fact that this unpopular group of people, the Jews, have killed perhaps hundreds of thousands of people throughout the king's empire all because Esther was a Jew unwilling to see her family be destroyed, the king asks her with unwavering honesty, "Is there anything, anything at all, I can do for you? I would do anything for you. Anything you ask, it will be done, this I promise!" Esther captivated the king of Persia, but I also believe that she captivated the King of creation. As do you. "The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord" (Psalm 45:11).
Your heart is a treasure, your life has a purpose, and your soul has a destiny. You were created for relationship with the King of Kings who formed your heart and loves you more than you could ever imagine. Lately, I have been rereading a book called
Captivating by John and Stasi Edlredge that tells of the captivating wonder and awe, specifically, of a woman's heart. The authors state, "... God knows that our heart is core to who we are. It is the source of all our creativity, our courage, and our convictions. It is the fountainhead of our faith, our hope, and of course, our love. This 'wellspring of life' within us is the very essence of our existence, the center of our being. Your heart... is the most important thing about you" (8).
For us to be able to reflect the life of God, we must first reflect his heart. We are capable of doing this by God's power, because he created us in his image and restores our innocence through the forgiving grace Jesus won for us at the cross. We were made in God's image and though sin marred our beauty, God makes all things new. Psalm 149:13 states that, "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Our hearts reflect the heart of God when we burn with a passion for his name; when we love with his righteous and overwhelming love coursing through our beings; and when we fulfill our purpose by loving him with all our hearts through worship, adoration, and obedience as well as proclaiming his truth to the lost so that they, too, may come to worship him.
Your heart is a heart that reflects the beauty of God. Let his love transform you. Then go out and with his love, transform the world.
