6/28 Esther 9:22

22 as the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor.


So often we worry about something that will never come to pass. Worry is really a lack of trust in God. Certainly the Jews were concerned about the plot to destroy them so they fasted and prayed. They put their trust in God. Esther did what she could at the risk of her life, but the numerous coincidences were all in the hand of God. The very day the Jews were to be annihilated throughout the Persian kingdom, God turned the tables and instead it was their enemies that were killed. What man meant for evil, God turned around and used to bless His people.

When fear strikes at our hearts, we need to do exactly what they did. Look to God first. Look to His providential provision. Then trust Him for the rest. Mordacai knew that God would raise up deliverance one way or another (Esther 4:14). We place our trust in God. We ask for His help. We do what He has set before us, and then we watch Him work. When we look back on our former circumstances, we will wonder why we were so anxious.

The Feast of Purim is celebrated to this day in Israel. As the nations around them look for ways to destroy them, just as Haman did, the Jews are reminded of God's ability to turn the tables. Let us who are grafted in remember that the same is true for us. The Lord is our keeper (Psalm 121:5).

Consider: The vast majority of times we worried were a fruitless exercises in a lack of trust in God. The next time we are tempted to worry, let us remember to look to God with confident trust.