COURAGE TO FACE AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE

"... if I perish, I perish." - Esther 4:16

Faith is more than mere philosophical belief.  Biblical faith is taking God at His Word.  Biblical faith leads to obedience and faithfulness.  Such faith is the product of love for God, dependence on His Word and a willingness to follow Him.

There are times when a bold step of faith is required.  That was the case for Esther.  She and her family were doomed to destruction because of the racial hatred of one man, Haman.  Haman schemed to have the king sign a decree that would result in the extermination of the Jewish people.  Unknown to Haman, the queen, Esther, was a Jew. 

Humanly speaking, Esther was the only person on earth that could do anything to stop the human carnage that was planned.  As queen, she could speak to her husband and have the entire situation changed. 

However, there was a problem.  The king had not called for her.  A person could not just come unannounced to the king.  Even his wife was not permitted to come to him unless he asked for her.  Any person who came to the king without permission would be executed --- unless the king held out his golden scepter. 

Since her predecessor had angered the king and was removed from her position, Esther had reason to be concerned.  She needed to talk with the king, but if he didn't invite her to come, she risked her life to approach him.  When her uncle, Mordecai, pressed her to speak to her husband, Esther asked for the Jewish people to fast for three days and then she would go, uninvited, to the king.  Esther further said, "... if I perish, I perish." 

Esther had no guarantee that she would be spared.  Despite the fact that she was the queen, she could be executed for her uninvited visit to the king.  She came to the king and he held out his golden scepter.  Ultimately, she was the instrument God used in sparing the Jews from certain destruction.

There are some things worth risking your life for.  Esther had the courage to risk her reputation and life for her own people.  She had no guarantee that her life would be spared.  She faced an uncertain future with faith and courage.

Anything worthwhile in life begins with uncertainty.  As we seek to follow God and obey Him, we will face uncertainty.  That is why faith is required. 

It is better to die for something worthwhile than to live for things that don't matter.  It is better to risk your life for the Gospel's sake than to live a worldly, compromising life.  It is better to risk your reputation than to live silently while others perish. 

Living for God requires faith and courage.  Courage is the product of faith.  Biblical faith produces courage.  We need to understand that courage is not the absence of fear.  Courage leads us to do what is right in spite of fear. 

If you want your life to make an eternal difference, faith and courage will be required.  Your life will never be fulfilled while you remain in your comfort zone.  You will never enjoy God's richest blessings and ultimate rewards if you remain in safe seclusion. 

God used Esther to spare an entire race of people.  God tends to use certain people to accomplish unusual things.  These individuals are usually ordinary people who trust God and have the courage to do what is right in spite of the consequences.  They, like Esther, face uncertainty and say, "... if I perish, I perish."

Everyone is going to die someday anyhow.  It is better to die for the cause of Christ and the sake of the Gospel than to live to an old age but waste every day.

Some things are worth risking your life for.  Jesus risked His life for us.  In fact, He died for us.  He gave His life on the cross for us.  He paid our debt of sin in full with His precious blood.  Because of His sacrifice, sinners like us can come to the great King of the universe.  Because of Jesus, the golden scepter was held out for us.  When we come to God in repentance and faith, we are saved and made children of the King.  God's golden scepter was not held out because of our worthiness, but because of His grace.

Now as recipients of God's grace, we are motivated with gratitude to love, follow and obey Jesus.  Following Christ is not always easy.  Sometimes the path is uncertain.  Danger may lie ahead.  For some, martyrdom will come.  Jesus is worth dying for because He died for us.

The future is uncertain for all of us.  Faith and courage is needed.  If our faith is anchored in Jesus, we can proceed with confidence.  If we must die for our faith, like Paul, we can honestly say, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." 

If I perish, I perish.