"For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope". Jer 29:11.
Throughout the Bible we encounter story after story where God uses many different people from different cultures, ages, races, and of different economic status to carry out his plans for the world. One of these characters is a young Jewish woman named Esther, who becomes Queen of Susa. .
There is not much written about Esther before she was taken to the Kings palace. All that we know of her is that she was Jewish and that she was an orphan being raised by her cousin Mordecai. The bible talks about her extraordinary beauty, in Esther 2:7, however, it doesn't talk about her personality. The only things that we can gather are that she is loyal and obedient to her cousin. An example would be in Esther 2:20 the Bible tells us that she did not reveal her heritage because Mordecai told her not too. Another personality trait we can gather from the beginning of Esther's story is that she is not vain or ostentatious, when she was finally being let into the court of the King she did not request any jewelry or clothes, she only wore what was given to her.
A very defining moment in Esther's life was when she first heard about the decree issued by Haman to destroy the Jews. In that time no one could go before the King unless he or she was summoned. In this instance we see Esther place her trust in God in her message sent to Mordecai, where she asks for her people to pray and fast. .
Esther 4:16 "Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish." .
As Esther entered the King's court she was showing unbelievable courage. Esther not only shows favor in the eyes of the King, but she is granted anything she wants within one half of the kingdom.
