𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠 𝗨𝗣

• Tell us about one of your fears. What happens when you face it?

• Have you ever been asked to speak up for others who are in trouble? What happened?

• Share about a time you felt dragged into a conflict you did not want to be a part of. How did it go for you?

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗

“𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘑𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳’𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴?” 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘌𝘴𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘪, “𝘎𝘰, 𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘑𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘶𝘴𝘢, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴, 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘢𝘺. 𝘐 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘨𝘰 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘸, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘐 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩, 𝘐 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩.” 𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝟰:𝟭𝟰–𝟭𝟲

(Read also 𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝟰.)

Esther was chosen as queen by King Ahasuerus of Persia, who reigned from India to Ethiopia (Esther 1:1). She was also an orphan who had been raised by her older cousin Mordecai. At Mordecai’s instruction, she hid her identity as a Jew.

However, when one of the king’s trusted advisers tried to have the Jews wiped out, Mordecai asked Esther to go to the king and plead on the Jews’ behalf. Esther knew that appearing before the king uninvited could lead to her death. Despite this, she accepted Mordecai’s prompting and decided to speak to the king. What does Esther’s story tell us about how God works in our lives?

𝟭. 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀.

“𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘑𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳’𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩. . . .” 𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝟰:𝟭𝟰

God’s plan is always in motion for the good of His people. Even if we do not respond, God keeps His promises and fulfills His purposes. Esther was reminded of two things. First, that she could trust God’s plan for her people. Second, that her obedience could help deliver her nation, her family, and herself. What does it mean for you to trust in God in the midst of your fears?

𝟮. 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀.

“. . . 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴?” 𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝟰:𝟭𝟰

God has a plan and purpose for every one of His people. There are no accidental roles or appointments. Esther was selected from hundreds, maybe thousands, of young women to become queen. She found herself in a position of access to the only person who could prevent the destruction of the Jewish nation. How do you respond to God when you feel like the wrong person for your time and place?

𝟯. 𝗪𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗚𝗼𝗱’𝘀 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀.

“𝘎𝘰, 𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘑𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘶𝘴𝘢, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴, 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘢𝘺. 𝘐 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘨𝘰 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘸, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘐 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩, 𝘐 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩.” 𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝟰:𝟭𝟲

Esther accepted that God’s purpose was greater than herself, even than her own life. Even after she accepted God’s calling in her life, Esther did not attempt to take on such a great mission alone. She called upon all of the Jews in the city capital to fast with her for three days. She and her own attendants also fasted, seeking the Lord, for those three days. As you walk in God’s calling with your life, who have you asked to walk with you in this mission?

𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

• Look at your current situation and circumstances. How do you think God will use you to fulfill His purpose where you are? What steps can you take this week to actively pursue God’s purpose?

• As you pursue God’s purpose in your life, in what areas do you need His guidance and power? How can you rely on Him more and more, instead of on your own strength and wisdom?

• Are you helping others, especially the next generation, live a godly life and pursue God’s purpose? How can you encourage and partner with them to do so? How can you also continue to seek guidance and mentoring from others?

𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥

• Thank God for the privilege to build upon the legacy of the godly generations before yours. Ask God for a heart to leave behind a godly legacy for future generations as well.

• Pray that God would strengthen your relationships in your church community as you help each other, especially different generations, pursue God and His calling together. Pray for opportunities to be equipped and to equip others as well.

• Ask God to help you walk with and encourage the next generation to pursue Him and His purpose for their lives. Ask Him to help you see them as He does—future leaders and coworkers in His kingdom.