The Favor of God

“Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins.  So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.”  Esther 2:17 

The account of how an orphaned Jewess became the Queen of Susa is full of many remarkable features and themes.  But one theme stands out in particular- how God causes his favor to rest on people to bring about his plan for mankind. 

The book of Esther is unusual in that the name of God is not expressly mentioned; and yet, the hand of God is seen throughout the book, especially in the life of young Esther. 

In her early years, she is orphaned, having lost both her father and mother.  She has to go live with her cousin and his family.  In addition, she is born a Jew where her people are living in exile in Persia.    Being a Jew indicated that she was of the people who are the apple of God’s eye, but a stench in the nostrils of many in the world.  All of these things put Esther in less than a favorable position to be queen.  Queens are traditionally chosen from other royal families, seldom is a Queen chosen from a minority race and certainly not an orphan.

The Bible doesn’t say much else about her childhood, but one thing we can agree on- her start was less than favorable.  But this story proves that God can make something beautiful out of anything.  We just have to be yielded for him to do his work.  We don’t have to be the prettiest, the smartest, from the best family, from the best schools, etc.  We just have to know our place in the Kingdom. 

This is where His ability to make us qualified comes into play.  When the way we view ourselves differs from the way He sees us, we must change our mind!  When Satan comes with condemnation telling us we are unworthy, reminding us of our past, our shortcomings, our failure, all we have to do is remind him (and ourselves) about what the Bible says about us.

God is all we need.  He has all the resources we can ever need.  He knows the areas we must improve and the areas we must crucify.  He plants within us the germ of all we need to fulfill our destiny, but it is only realized as we submit to God, much as Esther submitted to those in authority over her.

The favor of God caused Esther to be crowned queen above all the other young virgins in the land.  Favor is defined as the state of being approved or held in high regard.  It can also mean preferential treatment.  The truth is that God can make other people look at us favorably.  He can cause others to want to bless us, to promote us, and to give us opportunities.

As a Christian, we do not have to manipulate and connive like the world does.  If there is something that God wills for us, we can trust Him to cause us to find favor with the right people at the right time to bring us into our destiny.

Dear Lord, allow your favor to rest on me today.  Fulfill your plans and purposes for me.  Help me to not rest upon my own abilities, but rather to walk and trust in your divine favor. In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri