Behind The Scenes: Think You Need the same Perspective?

Romans 8:28

As I was listening to a Esther devotional this morning, Romans 8:28 came to mind.

Let's break this down and apply it to our lives, too.

Esther as we know was a Jewish girl living in exile in Persia. Her parents had died and her cousin Mordecai had raised her and was like a father to her.

Vashti defied the king when he called for her to flaunt her beauty and maybe more in front of perhaps hundreds of men. Instead of executing her, he exiled her. With his queen now exiled, he needs a new queen.

He sends men out to find beautiful girls so he can pick a new queen. After a year of beauty treatments, ever wondered why the writer of Esther puts that into the book? It is Esther's turn to go into the king.

Let's stop here.

Do you think Esther was excited to be chosen as one of the young girls for these beauty treatments, to live in the palace and get all these fine things? I wonder if she thought to herself what in the world is going on? Why me? I am Jewish, they didn't know that, though Mordecai had instructed her to not tell anyone her nationality. What can they want with me in this place? Think she was traumatized by being yanked from her home, the love of her family again. Her parents had died already ... more pain on top of the pain she already carried.

Side note: The book of Esther specifically mentions Myrrh treatments for the girls. When we look at the emotional benefits of Myrrh, maybe the treatments were for beauty as much as they were for emotional healing for these girls. Myrrh supports individuals who have had disturbances to the mother-child bond. A child may lose it's child like trust after that bond has been disturbed, Esther would have been in that position, because we know her mother had died.

** Side note to the side note: Hegia wouldn't have known this information, who would have known this? Yahweh. He knew Esther intimately like He knows each of us intimately. He is after all our Creator.
Myrrh may also help to shield us emotionally from the adverse and harmful effects of the world, instead fostering safety and security. What did these girls need? To feel safe and secure, after being yanked from their homes. Myrrh is also purifying and draws impurities from the skin. A reason it would have been used for the skin.

Now back to the story.
It is Esther's turn to go into the king. She asked Hegai what jewelry to wear. She has listened to his wisdom concerning the year of beauty treatments, I would imagine he has imparted other wisdom to the girls along the way, in preparation for one of them to be chosen as the next queen. Who do you think knew she was going to need that education? Did she know it? Nope. Guess who did though: Yahweh.

Do you see Romans 8:28 showing up here? And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose ... Esther was called according to His purpose. What was His purpose with Esther? We know because we are now looking back at the history, to save His people. He was working all things together for her good, while she is scared, lonely, maybe questioning Him and wondering what in the world is going on, wondering why she has to now face this pain of being taken from her home after her parents death. Plus, knowing she can never return to her family. She is now "property" of the king and can not go home ever.
What she doesn't know is that SHE will be queen. She will save her people from Haman. She will influence the king in these important matters. She will be used by Yahweh to do something BIG. Wait, I am getting ahead of the story ...

Back to the story.

Mordecai at some point heard about a to plot kill the king and spoke up. He was never rewarded for saving the kings life. The king is reminded of this when he is unable to sleep and has scrolls read to him. Now he wants to reward Mordecai. He asked Haman “What should be done for the man whom the king wishes to honor?” Thinking it is himself, Haman gives an extravagant answer, only to find out that it isn't for himself after all! The humiliation. The indignation.

Meanwhile, Esther is preparing a banquet for the king and Haman. To beg the king for the lives of her people. She speaks her piece and tells the king who would dare to do this thing to her people. The king withdraws presumably to think on this now information.
" When the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet of wine, Haman was throwing himself down on the couch where Esther was lying." Ooops! The king returns just in time to draw the conclusion that Haman intends to harm the queen.

Who do you think inspired Esther to throw a banquet and invite the king and Haman? Yahweh. He is behind the scenes moving things around for the good of Esther and the Jewish people exiled in Persia.

Just like HE is moving things around behind the scenes for your good, for my good ... Why? Because He loves us. He wants good for us. We are supposed to have abundant lives.

The words of Yeshua: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. John 10:10

Looking back at your life, how can you now see the behind the scenes parts that were being moved by Yahweh?

How will you trust Him to move the pieces into place for your good in the circumstances you now find yourself surrounded by?