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GOD’S FAVOR

… she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins...
Esther 2:17

“Now the king was attracted to Esther more than any of the other women, and she won his favor” (Esther 2:17). One moment of God’s favor can change everything! If you want God’s favor, study Esther. (1) She prepared herself. Listen: ‘Before a girl’s turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments’’ (Esther 2:12). Study. Preparation. Discipline. Those who pay the price to succeed aren’t lucky, they’re rewarded! (2) She sought only the king’s approval. Esther probably turned a lot of heads, but she sought only the approval of one - the king. Why do you want God’s anointing? To please Him, or others? The higher God takes you, the more frequently you’ll have to answer that question. (3) She discovered her assignment and fulfilled it. Haman planned to annihilate every Jew. Only someone greater could save them, like the king’s wife. That’s when Mordecai told Esther, ‘‘you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this’’ (Esther 4:14). You were born with a set of instructions; you’ll discover them in the presence of the One who made you. God told Jeremiah, ‘‘before you were born, I set you apart’’ (Jeremiah 1:5). That’s why we don’t fit in anywhere else. (4) She gave her all. To approach the king uninvited meant death, but Esther recognized a cause greater than herself, ‘‘if I perish, I perish’ (Esther 4:16). And the result? The nation was saved and Haman was hanged on his own gallows. God’s favor - it’s an awesome thing!
 

Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me to always first seek your favor and not that of others. Let my life ambition be to please you – knowing that when I fail you still love me and give me your mercy and forgiveness. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.