May 16. 2025-Meditation, Esther 4:1–17, For Such a Time as This

 Now, the Jews throughout the entire province were facing the threat of being slaughtered on a single day. There seemed to be almost no way to escape this crisis. In such a moment, all the Jews prayed. Verse 3 says:

“In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.” (Esther 4:3)

They mourned deeply, fasted, wept, cried out loudly, wore sackcloth, and lay in ashes. Their hearts were broken, and they gave up food to pray. And they repented of their sins regarding this matter.

When we face extreme crises, there are times when we don't even have the strength to pray. We might have enough strength to pray in front of minor problems, but when a crisis becomes too overwhelming, sometimes we find that we don’t even have the will to pray.

But in such moments, praying itself is an act of strong faith. When we realize we must pray—but still have no motivation or desire to do so—perhaps that is the very moment when we are given a powerful opportunity to witness God at work through our prayer. So even if only a little strength remains, I hope we will squeeze it out and pray—so that we may witness God's hand in action.

Mordecai asks Queen Esther to go before the king and plead on behalf of the people. What Mordecai says to Esther is found in verse 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?” (Esther 4:14)

It was entirely by God’s doing that Esther became queen. And now, it seems that God is using her position to bring about deliverance for the Jews. But notice this—Mordecai does not make a definitive statement. He does not say, “It is for this time.” Rather, he says, “Who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

Mordecai is absolutely sure that God will deliver the Jews by some means, even if Esther does not act. He believes in God’s promise of deliverance. However, he does not claim to know how God will fulfill that promise. God may use Esther’s royal position—or He may use another way. That’s why we must pray.

Sometimes, we mistake our own convictions for God’s guaranteed methods. We must be careful. Rather than having overconfidence in our assumptions, we should hold onto the thought, “Who knows?” And because we don’t know for certain, we must not stop praying.

Perhaps God seems to be doing something in our family, our church, or our individual lives. And when things appear to be nearly complete, we might feel confident. But even then, we must continue to pray with the mindset, “Who knows?” until God fully brings it to pass. May we become people who do not stop praying until the work is truly finished.

Having heard Mordecai’s request, Esther decides to go before the king, even though appearing before him uninvited could result in death. She makes her resolution and says this to Mordecai and all the Jews in verse 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 4:16)

“If I perish, I perish.” Here, the Hebrew word ’āḇaḏ (אָבַד) is used twice. It means “to lose one’s property or life.” Esther is prepared to lose her position as queen—even her life. This phrase does not mean she is willing to die because there’s no better option; it means she will pray with a desperation that risks her life.

She also asks not only Mordecai but all the Jews to pray for her. This is what it means to have faith-filled partners in ministry. Today, we are called to be such partners—to pray for one another and stand with one another. A true ministry partner is someone who treats another’s pain as their own and prays with them. Likewise, they rejoice together in times of joy—not feeling jealousy or envy, but sharing in that joy.

If we see a brother or sister fall into error, we should pray. Not dig it up to criticize or condemn.

We must become ministry partners. Let us become a community that witnesses and experiences God’s work together as we walk in partnership and unity.