I have been in a place for the past week or so that feels like there is a plot against me. I cannot explain ALL, just that I feel a "dark cloud" over me, my spirit is agitated, I cannot connect with God, my wife, my kids, my friends--anyone. All of my words seem dampened and my mind and my heart seem to be too.
In my spiritual journey, I have become more aware of times like these and others that effect me negatively, and have learned to pause, reflect and pray--even fast if goaded to do so. I continue to hold on to Jesus and seek to connect and somehow break through this crustiness that stands in my way.
There is no sense in believing it will all pass away soon enough--it always does, but I have never been better for it if I just trust such a time/season to "fate" and believe that "whatever will be will be." I am a co-creator with God, created in His image and bear the markings of Jesus on my spirit--the Holy Spirit testifies that I am His and He is mine.
So what is a man to do when he senses a plot against him?
I was sitting next to a friend at my son's wrestling meet, and he spoke to me of the truths he had garnered from the life of Esther. I would like to share with you what the Holy Spirit is revealing to me through this text.
In Esther chapter 4, the context is this: the evil Haman has received permission from the king to serve the edict about killing all of the Jews in hopes of finally being rid of the testimony of faithful Mordecai, a thorn in his flesh. Haman is a decedent of Saul's disobedience in not slaying all of the Amalakite (King Agag's) people Samuel told him to. The edict is served and all of the city of Susa is in turmoil. Esther notices Mordecai's dismay and sends her servant to ask him what's going on for she sits in the palace and doesn't know.
When her servant came back to Queen Esther he reports what her uncle said: what had happened to him, Haman's bounty for the destruction of the Jews, a copy of the Annihilation Edict delivered on the billboards of Susa, and with instructions for her "to go into the king’s presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people."
Now, Esther chapter 4:
9 Hathak [Esther's head eunuch] went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said.10 Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai, 11 “All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.”
Esther coughed up the law. She had been in the palace too long and forgot who she was. Mordecai needed to remind her who she was.
12 When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, 13 he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. 14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
The life-truths Mordecai has learned comes out of his deep spiritual faith. He reminds Esther of who she is: a Jew. There is no escaping her nationality. She should claim it--she needs to claim it and go forward in faithfulness to God. If she doesn't, God will remain faithful and help will come from another place. Isn't this awesome!? It is like God asking you to help him and if you say, No, he moves on to the next. HIS WILL is going to be done. The question is then, will you be the one?
There is also the question our human nature doesn't like to answer--"Do you think you will escape?" We always believe we will get away with whatever it is--because we think it is secret. Esther kept her nationality a secret in obedience to her uncle. Now he is telling her it is time for a revelation. The revelation is always for a time, and Mordecai makes that plain--"for such a time AS THIS!" Now is the time for Esther to come clean with who she is and God is going to capitalize on it--because Esther bears His name! SHE is His people; HE is her God. And that comes from one of the greatest promises of God.
15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 “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 gets it. The truth sinks in and she is convinced. This is faith at its finest. But it came with guidance and good questions. We need guidance from others who will speak into our lives and help us do the right we know we need to do but is sometimes hard to do. And she was resolved. When was the last time you were resolved about anything? Are you resolved about the promises of your God? Like the three Hebrews about to be tossed into the fire who said, "And even if our God does not deliver us, O King, we will NOT bow to you!" The Church needs men and women of resolve.
She fasted. Fasting breaks evil power. Fasting BREAKS evil powers. Somehow it creates a warp in the time-space continuum and that stuff from God's world gets into ours. Call it grace; call it mercy; call it glory or fairy dust, but whatever it is--it is not of this world. It comes from God and reveals what only GOD CAN DO! It was a three day fasting--a giving up, a sacrifice of the inner self-life to be focused on GOD and wait on Him.
SO if we look at it this way, the "it" being PLOTS AGAINST US, we can trust in God knowing that has good already planned and on its way if we just step up--resolve to believe, WAIT on HIM, sacrifice in his name by fasting 2-3-4 days, or as long as it takes.
17 So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.
Up until this point, Mordecai was the teacher, the leader, the uncle who gave orders and advice. But now, the student has become the teacher--Esther has come into her own faith and is about to test it. Mordecai gets out of God's way.
This is what every parent needs to do--recognize when God is about to set up their kid for something good in the midst of bad and allow them the opportunity to see God do something great in his or her life.
So remember Esther--her example is how you counter the enemy's plots against you.