Wednesday Wisdom 🙂
Inspiration this week comes from the Book of Esther (the entire book) but specifically 4:13-14
Modecai sent this reply to Esther: “Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die.
Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”
The book of Esther fascinates me. It is a story of a young woman with great courage and devote faith who unselfishly and bravely followed God’s call in order to save the Jewish people from political persecution during the reign of Xerxes (approximately 486-465 B.C.). In addition to the story being a profile in human courage, it also demonstrates how God masterfully works – in and through each of us – to care for his people.
Esther has what I like to joyfully refer to as: Holy Sass. She embraced God’s wisdom and savvy and used it to bravely destroy a selfish plot of mass murder and destruction. She did it with grace, whit, and just enough sassy attitude that she bested an evil scheme and changed the course of history. She gives the term “Girl Power” a whole new level of meaning 😉
Sass is an interesting word with a variety of connotations. My favorite farmer and I are blessed with three daughters. Over the years, we’ve known a bit of sass in our house. In fact, when Ashley Grace was about 8 she decided to try a bit of disrespectful sass (in the form of eye rolling at inopportune times)– something that her younger sisters quickly picked up on. That led to a new rule – 10 pushups for each eye roll or sign of disrespect. Twelve years later, all three of my girls kick out some impressive push-ups, but more importantly they learned a lesson in discretion.
The good kind of sass – the Holy Sass – is the courage that comes from God to respond with honor and strength when he calls for you.
It’s not a disrespectful “eye-rolling” sass, it’s a boldness and courage that leads to active faith.
Ashley Grace, Megan and Karyn – circa 2006
I spend a lot of time around girls. I often see a quiet obedience in them. But as they reach the teenage and young adult years, I also watch them struggle with boldness and courage. I think a lot of that stems from an inherent lack of confidence paired with a faith that has yet to reach maturity. I used to be that girl. In fact, some days I still am. It’s hard to truly and consistently trust God. It’s difficult to believe that you are strong enough – smart enough – worthy enough – to make a meaningful difference in this huge world that He created. It’s frightening to think that God trusts you enough to ask you to fight for Him.
Esther did something incredibly important as she prepared to act on Modecai’s message. She packed her faith and looked up – spending three days (in community with others) fasting and praying for courage and direction from God before she went to see the King. She didn’t act rashly and she didn’t act alone. As a result, God’s grace carried her through the call and enabled all of the pieces to come together.
In my own faith journey, I’ve learned to both listen and pray before I act. Honestly, I used to be terrible at this but God finds creative ways to grow us 🙂 Some days I still struggle with discretionary boldness and courage, but I am learning that prayer helps me to pack my Holy Sass. It not only ensures that I am doing what God asks of me – it also brings me peace and confidence that my actions are Godly.
We worship a good and a great God. He asks us to believe. He’s the author of Holy Sass. In Malachi 3:10 he tells us, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!” Each time that we believe and we accept that God has uniquely placed us for good, we respond to this verse from Malachi and put Him to the test. We give Him the ability to deliver us and to deliver others – Just as Esther did so many years ago.
I pray that each one of us will look up to find the Holy Sass that God grants – that we will act with boldness and courage in faith, worshiping the One who holds our hearts as we hold His hand.
Feed Yard Foodie 