Lily of the Field

Strong in Spirit and Steadfast in Character

Esther

Deuteronomy 5:16 - Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Currently, I am using Beth Moore's study guide to work through the book of Esther.  

One of the verses that stood out to me tonight was Esther 2:20

Now Esther had not revealed her family and her people, just as Mordecai had charged her, for Esther obeyed the command of Mordecai as when she was brought up by him.

This verse stood out to me for a couple of reasons.

Esther was Queen 

Esther was fully grown 

Mordecai had essentially been Esther's father

Esther did not have to continue obeying the commands of Mordecai

But, she did.  

Esther continued on obeying the man who God had made her spiritual head.  Respecting his wishes.  Later on in Esther we will see how her obedience to the man who had essentially been her father would allow her to be used by God in an unbelievable way.

Following someone else's instructions is never easy.  After all, we are all self-centered human beings who tend to believe, "Its my way or the highway".  Nevertheless, Esther persevered and demonstrated a strength in spirit and a steadfastness in character.

I love the following quotes from Beth Moore.

Oh, the favor that can come our way in a workplace or elsewhere through our simple willingness to follow instructions.  Impatient and self-promoting people don't win favor this way; those who respect authority who aren't insulted by instruction, who practice the art of truly listening, and who follow through by doing what they're asked win it.

Only a person strong in character and steadfast in spirit can follow someone else's instructions for long.

With a godly spirit of humility, strength, and dignity, Esther, Queen of Persia, continued to respect her "father".  What an example.

Personally, this is a powerful testimony to me of the need to respect the wishes of those God has placed over me as my leaders.  I am blessed enough to have parents who are both my earthly and spiritual "heads".  Though it is not always easy to respect the wishes of my parents or seek their advice on different issues, God makes it clear that respecting those He has put over us, whether it be husbands, fathers, mothers, bosses, or any other type of authority is vital.

Romans 13:1-2

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities.  For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.  Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.

Colossians 3:12

Put on therefore, as God's elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering....

As Christians, we ought to ask for a heart of lowliness, meekness, and humility, that we would have the strength and steadfastness to learn from and respect, and obey those whom He has placed over us, as leaders and protectors.  

We ought to be grateful for Jesus...the ultimate example of one who demonstrated unbelievable obedience to His Father....obedience that would lead to an excruciating and terrible death on the cross...that, through the resurrection, He could overcome death and save us from our selfish, sinful, rebellious ways.