Barbara Lighthizer
Romance, drama, and excitement surrounded Queen Esther's life. Her story is almost like that of Cinderella, in which the handsome prince invited all the beautiful girls of his kingdom to come to the royal dance. When Esther was a young teenager, the Persian king, Ahasuerus, was searching for a new wife. He required that every beautiful maiden be brought to the palace. He would choose one of the girls to be his queen.
Esther's mother and father had died when she was very young, so her uncle, Mordecai, had raised her. They were Jewish, and her uncle had taught her about their God, Jehovah. Esther grew to be beautiful and well-mannered. She loved God and was loyal to her people, the Jews.
When the royal guard saw Esther, they took her to the palace, and the people working there favored her. To have an audience with the king may sound exciting and glamorous, but it must have been terrifying to a Hebrew girl. The king did not worship Jehovah, the Lord God Almighty. He, and everyone else in the palace, worshiped idols. Apparently, no other Jewish girls were brought to the palace, so Esther was alone in a foreign environment and away from her people. Her uncle told her not to tell anyone she was Jewish. Esther must have been afraid, but she wasn't really alone. God knew where she was.
When King Ahasuerus spent some time with Esther, he fell in love with her. He chose her to be Queen of Persia.
Haman held a high office in the Persian kingdom, and he hated the Jews. He thought up a plan whereby all of the Jews would be killed. He was sure he would succeed and that the king would honor him.
Mordecai heard about Haman's plot to have all the Jews killed. He hurried to tell his niece about the plot. Esther was strongly committed to God and her people. For the first time in her reign as queen, Esther knew she might have to tell the king her secret, that she was a Jew. She told Mordecai to have the Jewish people fast; Esther and her maidens fasted, too.
Esther understood that she could die for the request she must make of the king. When she entered the king's chambers, his love for her softened his heart. He gave permission for her to speak. Esther was willing to die for her faith in God to deliver His people.
When she explained Haman's plot to kill the Jews and revealed that she was Jewish, the king believed her. He ordered that Haman be killed on the gallows, which Haman had built to hang Mordecai.
This story shows the power of God to use you in places where you feel no one will understand your faith. In a school where you don't know any other Christians, or in a neighborhood where the children do not believe in God, the Lord knows where you are. He can help you to have a strong faith like Queen Esther.
To be a strong Christian, you need to
- Read your Bible every day.
- Tell the Lord all your problems. Thank Him for all the good things in your life.
- Memorize Bible verses.
- Go to Sunday school and church.
- Develop Christian friends.
When you speak up for what you believe, remember God will help you. Be brave like Queen Esther.
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