It’s January and cold in the Texas hill country. But that doesn’t stop Nate and Ryker from jumping into the pool. They start in the hot tub but they also take an occasional polar plunge into the pool.

Esther 2

The king wants a new Queen. An epic beauty contest is underway. Chosen women from all over the massive Persian empire were brought to the palace. They individually go through a twelve-month beautification process of oils and spices. After the twelve months, vs 13 says “the young lady would go in to the king in this way: anything she desired was given her to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace.” I have no idea the kind of things they would chose to take but they were able to use their own initiative and creativity to add to their appeal. Vs 14 continues, “In the evening she would go in and in the morning, she would return to the second harem, to the custody of Shaashgaz…she would not again go in to the king unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name.”

You’re Next?

It is now Esther’s turn. The Jewish orphan is about to go before the king. The most beautiful women in the empire have gone before her. Vs 15 says, “Now when the turn of Esther…came to go in to the king, she did not request anything except what was advised. AND ESTHER FOUND FAVOR IN THE EYES OF ALL WHO SAW HER. Esther was taken to king Ahasuerus.”

What was it about Esther. An orphan from humble means captures the hearts of everyone she meets. We know that she was stunningly beautiful but when one is surrounded by the hottest super models of the Persian empire, there must still be something else. Beauty is not the determining factor that made Esther unique. God granted her favor in the eyes of all who met her. There must have been something about her demeanor, her kindness, her humility, her spirit, her warmth, her sense of humor, her charm, her face, and most certainly, her eyes. This is a special young lady whom God fashioned from inside her mother’s womb and developed her throughout childhood and adolescence with a natural beauty that was cultivated from deep inside her heart. God did all this because He had a plan and a purpose. The king thinks he is making his own choice. How naïve!

Something in the ways she moves

So, everyone likes Esther but what about the king? She’s the underdog that everyone is pulling for. The writer gets right to the point. Vs 17 says, “The King loved Esther more than all the women, and she found favor and kindness with him more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.” These words express something way beyond the appeal of her physical beauty. He loved her. Something about her made him show  favor and kindness toward her. The reigning king of the world who is self-occupied with his own desires and achievements expresses humble emotions of care, kindness and benevolence toward a humble Jewish orphan. Wow, she was special. And in the providence of God, He fashioned her as such for a unique purpose and a time that is yet to come.

God has made each of us unique as well. Our uniqueness brings us in contact with certain people and we make certain impressions upon the people we meet. Sometimes our uniqueness and experiences bring us in contact with the rich, famous and powerful people of the world. What do we say and how do we conduct ourselves? These are defining moments. However, most often we encounter regular people going through life in the usual manner. Are we mindful of why God brings us before them? Are we asking God for Him to use our lives and our words for His purposes in those seemingly ordinary moments? I fall woefully short in this arena. Lord, help me to live out and apply these principles to my life. Amen!