The favor of God is a great blessing, and it opens doors that no man can shut. Esther had God’s favor as well as man’s favor, and this allowed her to be used by the Lord to save her people from annihilation.
Now when the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his daughter, to go in to the king, she requested nothing but what Hegai the king’s eunuch, the custodian of the women, advised. And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her. So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, into his royal palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. Esther 2: 15-17
After King Ahasuerus’ disappointment with his queen Vashti, he sought a beautiful virgin from across the land to replace her. Esther was the one that the king picked and declared queen. She was a Jewish girl who was raised by her cousin Mordecai. From all accounts in the Bible, she was a humble and beautiful woman who honored those above her.
To have favor, the person has a part to play. Favor comes to those live dependent on the Lord, live a life of humility, and are willing to honor those who have gone before them. Esther fit that criterion as she was humble and teachable. She did not have any selfish ambitions. She didn’t have jealousy towards other virgins in the palace, nor was she trying to compete with anyone. She just wanted to be her best, and she remained teachable.
He who earnestly seeks good finds favor, But trouble will come to him who seeks evil. Proverbs 11:27
Because Esther was seeking to do the right thing, the Lord gave her favor with the king. This allowed her to ask the king to come to her place for dinner and gave her the opportunity to expose Haman’s wicked schemes against the Jewish people.
Interestingly, Haman also had the king’s favor, but his pride opened the door to his downfall. Since Mordecai would not bow down to him, Haman decided it was best to annihilate the entire Jewish population. He misused the favor to further his own ambitions. This caused him to finally be exposed and be executed for taking advantage of his position.
On the other hand, Esther did not misuse the favor for her own selfish ambitions. She wasn’t looking to make a name for herself or to appear more popular than all the other women in the harem. As a matter of fact, she was willing to risk her life to ensure that her people were delivered from the threat of annihilation. She used her favor with the king to save her people and influence the king for righteousness.
When God gives us favor, it opens doors for us that we would otherwise not be able to open. It also allows us to have the ear of those in power. The favor of God has a purpose, and it is not meant solely for us to enjoy it. The favor allows us, in turn, to become a blessing in other people’s lives and help them in their situations of life.
God’s favor is upon those who live a life to please Him and to honor Him with their lives. Do you have God’s favor upon your life? If so, how are you using the favor of God to be a blessing to other people? Esther had God’s favor and protection. She didn’t seek favor, but favor came to her. However, things don’t always turn out that way. This will be the subject of my next devotional.