"…And thus I will go into the king, which is not according to the law;
and if I perish, I perish."
~ Esther 4:16B ~

The book of Esther is one of incredible faith; of a Jewish queen who foiled a plot by Haman to destroy the Jewish people living under King Ahasuerus.

The story we know: The Jewish man Mordecai would not bow down to Haman as he walked by each day and Haman wanted revenge. Haman lied to the king, claiming falsely that the Jews (and the object of his scorn, Mordecai) were a threat. Haman got permission to kill the Jews, not knowing that a queen in the kingdom and the object of the King's affection was none other than Esther, a Jew.

Faced with the choice of saving her own life by remaining silent or standing up to protect her people, Esther chooses faith. Though she is breaking the law by doing so, she steps forward and speaks to the king, setting in motion a series of events that saves her people and brings about the end of Haman.

Yet before she talks to the king, Esther first asks her people to pray and fast, knowing that her next step — to speak to the king — could be her last. Esther knows the gravity of her actions, telling her friends, "If I perish, I perish."

That's faith in its true form. It would be nice to read this story and say, "This is a wonderful story of someone who trusted God to the point of believing He will do a miracle!" The only problem is, that's not what the Scripture tells us. Esther — though surely trusting God — is not sure of the outcome.

This young woman — Esther — has the incredible faith that tells her how to respond to a frightening situation. However, she doesn't know the results. At the point of her decision, she has no idea of her future place in history; that thousands of years later she would be known as "Queen Esther of the Bible."

Would God perform a miracle? Perhaps. Yet Esther's words tell us she was willing to face death in an attempt — possibly a failed one — to save her people.

Our faith — like Esther's — grows as we walk into an unknown future. We may not have to say, "If I perish, I perish," but at times faith means a possible loss of reputation, of comfort or of relationships. Still, we're called to live a life of faith, following God into the unknown.

Esther gives us the example of how to walk by faith, asking her friends to join her in prayer and fasting — a time of listening for God's clear voice — before venturing forth. When Esther steps forward we see God move in an incredible fashion, speaking to King Ahasuerus in a dream and unlocking the door to Mordecai's — and the rest of the Jews — freedom. So what happens when we live out our faith? We'll only find out by taking the next step.

Reprinted by permission from Servants of Excellence, a LifeTrends publication. If you'd like to know more about the resources provided by LifeTrends that can be used to encourage your volunteers, educate your Board and reach your supporters, or if you're looking for a great speaker for your next banquet, contact Kirk Walden at kirk.walden@comcast.net