Esther 4:1-5, When Mordecai learned all that had happened, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city.  He cried out with a loud and bitter cry.  He went as far as the front of the king’s gate, for no one might enter the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth.  And in every province where the king’s command and decree arrived, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.  So Esther’s maids and eunuchs came and told her, and the queen was deeply distressed.  Then she sent garments to clothe Mordecai and take his sackcloth away from him, but he would not accept them.  Then Esther called Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs whom he had appointed to attend her, and she gave him a command concerning Mordecai, to learn what and why this was. 

 Now, before Ahasuerus was king, King Cyrus had decreed that any of the Jews who felt led were to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple of God.  Thousands of Jews went back but many of them stayed in Babylon.  Too often we may jump to questioning the reasoning behind a decision like that but if we just keep studying and reading we can see the hand of God moving in their lives.  That is true in your life when you follow God and His plan for your life as well.  Some decisions you make may not make sense to others but if you are doing what you know in your heart is what you are supposed to do then don’t give it another thought.  Mordecai and Esther were meant to stay in Babylon.  There could have been a number of reasons why so many chose to stay in Babylon, if you look at the history of the place and its wealth and beauty it was a great place, and whether or not they lived in Babylon or Jerusalem they were still under the same ruler.  

The book of Esther is often portrayed as sort of a Cinderella story, rags to riches, and a sweet, and beautiful Princess/Queen who is innocent and kind to everyone, maybe even a bit naive.  I think just like all women there was a lot more to her than meets the eye.  But here we find her in these verses shaken by the news that Uncle Mordecai who she respected and loved dearly was so distraught he was covered in sackcloth and ashes and mourning at the King’s gate.  Her response was one that said, “Everything is ok, here change your clothes, we don’t have to live like that”. She was comfortable and she had no idea the devastation of what had been decreed.  Her life was good and “Let’s not rock the boat or make a scene…”. Meanwhile, while she was living in her comfort all Hell was coming against the people of God.

It’s easy to get caught up in our comforts in life and become oblivious to the destruction going on and lose sight of all of the lost people around us.  Let’s face it, we all prefer comfort by far more than we may want to admit, but we aren’t called to seek “comfort”, we are called to live for God and sometimes that isn’t going to be comfortable.  Let me say this though, while “comfort” seems great, there is nothing in the world that can match walking with God and spending time in His presence even through the most difficult times of life.  

Mordecai’s response I am sure shook Queen Esther to her core.  She was called to rise above the comforts of those palace walls and not just rock the boat but stick her neck out doing it!  As he told her in verse 14 of chapter 4, “For if you fail to speak up now, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from a different direction; but you and your father’s family will perish.  Who knows whether you didn’t come into your royal position precisely for such a time as this.”   How about you?  Has God been speaking to your heart about something that you aren’t too sure you want to do?  We are truly living in a very significant time ~ we are living when Jesus could come at any time, and there are signs all around us.  With everything going on in Israel and such a tremendous falling away from the things of God all around the world, there are multitudes of signs.  Who knows but what God hasn’t put you right where you are for “such a time as this”?  Don’t think for a moment that you can’t make a difference.  If you walk with God and allow Him to work in and through you the possibilities are endless.  Don’t underestimate what just being a godly example can do in the lives around you.  Not trying to fit in and be molded by what the world says, but by standing out by being molded by what the Word of God says, can be the biggest change ever!  I would just like to encourage you to allow God to use you to be His hands and feet.  Be someone who just overflows with His love so others wonder what (WHO) it is that makes you so different.  God loves you and He loves them.  Let’s set our sights on eternity and be determined to bring as many other people with us as we can by being a light in this dark world that draws others to Him!