August 15, 2022

Esther 4: 16 (NIV)

“. . . and if I perish, I perish.”

Whatever the problem, there is a biblical response to it.*

Picture the “Queen of Susa” pageant. All the beauties of the land competing for the crown. Literally. Enter Esther, the contestant representing the Tribe of Benjamin. She sweeps all the categories: congeniality; poise; evening gown . . . probably not swimsuit. No one is surprised when she is handed that big bouquet of roses and the crown is placed on her head for that stroll down the catwalk because Esther is beautiful and smart.

Esther was young (it’s safe to assume) but she was smart enough to listen to her older cousin Mordecai’s wise counsel. When it became clear that the fate of her fellow Jews was in her pampered hands, she considered Mordecai’s advice, weighed her options, and decided to take her chances. “Que sera, sera,” she said. Well, not quite. Same idea. “What will be, will be,” doesn’t sound as risky as, “If I perish, I perish.”

We will probably never be placed in a life-or-death situation like this but we often have tough decisions to make. On those occasions, Esther’s method of assessing the situation and determining her course of action could work for us.

· Seek wise counsel – and listen to it. We would include prayer and consulting Scripture in this step. 

· Weigh your options. Ask yourself, What is the worst that could happen? 

· Decide. Not deciding is a decision so allow yourself a measure of control in the situation.

Esther’s story has a happy ending. There is no guarantee that the same will be true for you, but there is satisfaction in knowing that you have made the right decision. Doing the right thing is always the right thing to do, regardless of the outcome. To God be the glory!

We make decisions throughout each waking moment of the day, but first those decisions must be evaluated and compared with what God has instructed his people to do.*