June 17, 2022

The Almost Daily will be on Summer Vacation until August 8th. But fear not! You will receive a devotional each Monday through Friday from the excellent Mockingbird Devotional entitled Daily Grace. Enjoy! - Paul Walker

“Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will also fast as you do. After that I will go to the king, though it is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.” (Esther 4:16)

A note about the book of Esther: The name of God is not mentioned once. Pretty interesting, given that it was included in the Bible, right? Take a look for yourself if you don’t believe me. I love that God shows up in this story anyway, his invisible hand the guiding force of the narrative—just like in our own lives.

When I was younger and heard about Esther, the teaching was focused on the “big” things she did for the kingdom of God by stepping up for the Jewish people. And, certainly, being instrumental in the saving of an entire race would qualify as big. Victorious, even! But first? She must take this very small step of entering the king’s chamber—less a victorious march than a trepidatious step toward potential death.

There’s not a lot that’s glamorous about risking execution, but that’s exactly what Esther will be doing if she approaches the king—and the passage tells us she’s happy to look for another way out (take this cup from me, anyone?) before she assents to the plan. She knows she can’t do it alone— she needs her people, and her unseen God.

“If I perish, I perish,” Esther assents, unknowingly pointing forward hundreds of years to the One for whom there was no if. Esther, it turns out, did not perish, but succeeded in entreating the king to save the Jews. Fast-forward hundreds of years to the One who did perish, and in so doing saved all of humanity by his unseen but ever-present hand.

[Stephanie Phillips, Daily Grace - Mockingbird Devotional Vol. 2]