Power of Identity
Hello Bride of Christ!
Another day starts...My children come rushing in to my dark room to crawl into my bed to begin to wiggle. Then the request come flooding in... can you get me a bottle? Can you get me my blanket? I am cold. Can you make me breakfast? Can you...? Keep in mind this happens typically between 5-6am every morning! Did I tell you I am not a morning person. Well sometimes starting my day in such matter causes me to get disheveled. So much so I forget who I am and who I belong to.
Join me in reading the book of Esther. She is a perfect example of being uprooted from all she knows into a lifestyle that was not custom to her, but yet she never lost her identity or forgot who she belong to.
Background
Esther (Persian name) / Hadassah (Hebrew name) was a remarkable young woman, who had lost her parents at a young age and became an orphan. Her cousin Mordecai adopted her in sorts and raised her and taught her about her Hebrew heritage and most importantly about her Hebrew God. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
One evening King Ahasuerus was having a feast and in the midst of showing off, becomes disgraced by his wife Vashti, who refuses to appear before him when requested. To protect his pride and respect of the people who witness this occurrence King Ahasuerus dethrones Queen Vashti. Leaving the king with no queen, which brings us back to Esther.
In looking for a new queen, a decree goes out and the king's men go and collect (yes collect, cause no woman had a choice) all the young women in the kingdom for the king to select his new queen. In the midst of all this madness Esther is taken away from Mordecai and funneled through the selection process. She finds favor and becomes queen.
Plot Thickens
As queen, Esther faces a very difficult challenge. The king's right hand man Haman, an Agagite, described as the enemy of the Jews, convinces the king to approve a decree to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, on the 13th day of the 12th month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their possessions. This decree went viral! It was sent to all the king's provinces!
Power of Identity
Esther was faced with a choice...
She could either do nothing because she was just a woman with little power and she may be overlooked cause her Jewish identify had been hidden as Mordecai had requested she do for safety.
Or she could do something because she remembered who she was, thanks to cousin Mordecai.
As you could probably infer by now she chose to remember her identity and help her people. Esther remembered two important identity traits over a three day fast supported by her people:
She was Jewish and therefore had access to an Almighty God;
She was a queen put into more power than she had ever had before.
So she prayed to her God and she decided to be bold and go before the king, without being summoned which means the king could have her killed, to request the king's presence at a feast she prepared. The Lord spared Esther and she was able to fellowship with the king a couple of times, before she revealed Haman's plan, which results in back firing on him.
Feel free to read the book of Esther to get all the details for I only highlight the major ones here, but the takeaway is remembering who we are and who we belong to can empower us to do things we never imagined. Our secure relationship with God impacts our attitudes and actions. The more secure we are with God the more we become concerned with Him, the more we speak to Him and seek counsel from Him, the more we obey His commands over man's law and it is well with our soul, the more we imitate our Creator!
Remember Bride of Christ who you are and who you belong to. God declares you are His beloved, friend, redeemed, loved, and complete! Live today knowing you are and you belong to the Almighty Loving God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob!
