Cheer UP! Podcast
Cheer UP! Podcast
Esther
Esther's story is a powerful testament to courage in the face of adversity. Despite the risks, Esther presented her case to King Xerxes, ultimately preventing the massacre of the Jews. The hosts draw parallels between ancient and modern-day challenges, emphasizing the bravery required to stand firm in one's beliefs amidst societal pressures.
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Hi and welcome to the Cheer Up Podcast. I am your host, kara R Hunt, and with me is the amazing Sherry Swalwell. How are you doing this morning, sherry? I?
Speaker 2:am doing really, really great. I just I don't know. It's just great to be alive, I know.
Speaker 1:Isn't that the truth right? No, isn't that the truth right? Even though here it's like a dreary dreary, the day is starting off dreary, lots of cloud cover looks.
Speaker 2:They look heavy. Like you know, rain is incoming, but you know what, as I've mentioned before, I'm starting to like these days me too and that's exactly what we're getting here as well. It's dreary and cold and rainy. But you know what I'm like you it it feels cozy now instead of right right, it's like you know.
Speaker 1:You just kind of like, oh well, so, because you know, before it's like, oh no, it's raining, it's cold, it's dreary, you know got to go out and everything else, and now it's just like you know what, so be it, yep, Yep, it's like you know, and you know, actually I think it's stressing in a way Mm-hmm, and you know, actually I think it's stressing in a way Mm-hmm. You know, I think when the days are bright and beautiful and clear skies, bright sun, we're just like super energized and we're like, ooh, what all can I get done today, you know, and we're stressed and we're doing this and we, you know, and all this other stuff. And I think days like this just kind of gives us time to just sit back, enjoy our favorite warm drink in the morning or hot drink in the morning and just kind of look out and just listen to the pitter patter of rain right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and just you know, just just have fun and just enjoy it. And I'm not a kid anymore, so it's not like I can put on a. I could put on a raincoat and rain boots because I have them and go out and play in the rain, but yeah, I just don't think my body would respond the same. You know, my body probably would come in with the sniffles right Back. Then it was all fun, right?
Speaker 1:You know, and games and we would just play in the rain and we would just have with the sniffles, right Back then we were, it was all fun, right, you know, and games, and we would just play in the rain and we would just have so much fun and um, and everything. And so it just, yeah, it's just, it's. It's amazing, you know, um, but maybe if I had an umbrella but I don't know, the weather's unusually cool here, um, for this time of the year. But you know what it is, what it is, and I just love these days and sometimes, when things are looking gray, we, you know, we kind of just oh, what's the word? Just not as hopeful, maybe, what's the word? Yeah, oh, say it again sherry, more discouraged, yes, yes, yes, you know, um, we tend to get more discouraged, you know, and it just looks like oh, my goodness, it's just going to rain today, it's going to be awful and everything like that. Well, you know, thank goodness, we serve a mighty and everlasting god, and I think we just need to change our perspective on things and because we just never know, quite know how God's going to work it out, and that is the story of Esther today that we're going to be talking about.
Speaker 1:But before we get there, I just want to say hi and welcome again to all of our listeners who tune in weekly and download the episodes and listen to them when you can. And we just want to say thank you for being faithful, for being loyal and for tuning in. And if you've been blessed by this episode or if you receive any joy or anything from it, we just ask that you like it on whatever platform you're listening on, that you will subscribe if that option is available for the platform you're on and share it. Share it. If you feel like our episodes will be a blessing to someone, if it will help them on their journey to joy, as we all walk this Christian path of life, then please share it. The likes, the subscribes, the shares, they all help us in the algorithm. For those who may just you know, type in a keyword like journey, joy, biblical figures, you know, or anything like that, the more likes, shares, downloads that we have, the easier it is for us in the algorithm to just pop up.
Speaker 1:And for those of you who are not even in America, who are not in the United States, we want to say we see you, we know that we have listeners in Germany, nepal, colombia, singapore, the Netherlands, india, philippines, just so you know, we see you, we hear you and we thank you for tuning into us. So I just wanted to give a shout out, as they say, to all those people in those different companies excuse me, different countries, different nations and just say thank you so much for tuning in to the Trail podcast. We so so appreciate you tuning in and listening and, like I mentioned, we are continuing our series, podcast series this year of talking about biblical figures, things they went through in the past years ago well, centuries ago, years ago, well, centuries ago and how, whatever they did, whatever situation or circumstance they found themselves into, how it relates to our lives today and what God tells us to be able to do about it. And today we're going to be talking about the book of Esther in the Old Testament. And for those of you who may not be familiar with Esther, I'm going to try my best to give a quick summary with the character translation a little bit. You know, sherry, if I'm wrong in my summary, please let me know. Wrong in my summary, please let me know. And so, but anyway. So the book of the whole story of Esther can be found in the book of Esther in the Old Testament and it kind of starts off with her husband excuse me, the king at the time, and I think his name was Ahasuerus or something like that, but he was also referred to as Xerxes X-E-R-X-E-S, and for the purpose of this episode it's just easier for me to say King Xerxes than the other name, you know, because I'm just so afraid I'm going to really mess that one up and I don't want to do that.
Speaker 1:But King Xerxes was known at that time and the point in the biblical era, as he was known for his arrogance and his wealth and for, like, displaying, you know, his wealth.
Speaker 1:And he was married to Vashti, v-a-s-h-t-i, and so she was Queen Vashti. He was married to Vashti and she was a very beautiful woman, and so he's throwing like a I'm just going to use party I'm not exactly sure what they called it back then when the king had a lot of people there, mostly men, and they're just celebrating, they're drinking wine, you know, and everything else, and so I'm just going to call it a party. So at the palace and he's just throwing this big party, like I say, he was kind of known for his extravagance and you know, and wealth and everything else. And so he has this beautiful wife and he sends for her and he's like I want her to come out and she's so beautiful, I want to show her off to all these men in the kingdom and I want her to come out and dance for him and do all this other stuff. And she's like, yeah, no, I ain't having it. Okay, again, this is the Kara translation.
Speaker 1:And she's just like, yeah, no, I don't think so, I don't want to do that. And he became so angry that she would kind of defy him like that. That he was like what when his servant came back and said she said no, he was so angry and you know, he's just like you know what. Then, fine, tell her she's no longer going to be the queen, that I'm divorcing her. She don't want to come out, she don't want to act right, she don't want to do what I say as her king. Then you know what's the purpose of me even being married to her, you know. So you know she's done. I'm going to issue a divorce decree or whatever they called it back then, and she's no longer the queen.
Speaker 1:And then I think he had her removed from the not actually from the palace, but from like her posh queen quarters, and had her put into like a little small room. He didn't like completely kick her out the palace, I think, but I think she was still somewhere close nearby but you know, all the luxurious stuff she had and servants and everything else I think was all taken away from her and she had like just like a little regular room, I think, like with regular people. So after that he's like you know what, she's not the only beautiful woman in the kingdom and I am going to have this beauty pageant, pretty much this pageant, and I'm just going to have my servants and my people look for the most beautiful women and then I'm going to pick one and she's going to be my new queen. And so he hires this guy pretty much to head this thing over and he goes all across the nation or whatever looking for beautiful women and he comes across this woman, esther, and she, her parents I'm not exactly sure how her parents died, I can't remember exactly how they died, but she was raised by her cousin Mordecai and he and I believe he's like an older died. But she was raised by her cousin Mordecai and I believe he's like an older fellow, but he ended up raising her.
Speaker 1:And when this guy who's searching for the most beautiful women in the land, he comes across Esther, he's just automatically taken with her, not just her beauty, but just you know, I think, her personality you know as well, but just you know, I think her personality you know as well. And so he lined up all these beautiful women that he has found across the kingdom or the land or whatever, and they all go before the king. And the king just was immediately smitten with Esther. And long story short, because there's a lot more involved here. But please just go back and read the book of Esther. There was a whole Would you call it a ceremony, sherry, that the women had to go through before they were presented to the king. Yeah, it was a whole year-long preparation thing.
Speaker 2:And before you continue the thingy, Mordecai was her uncle, not her cousin. I think it was the cousin of her parents.
Speaker 1:Oh, got you, Okay, the cousin, Okay, so he was the cousin of the parents, but he was her uncle, I believe. So, yeah, Okay, yeah, so, yeah, so she was raised by her uncle, Mordecai. And so finally, you know, the man takes her along with all these other beautiful women and everything else, and you know, they go through this whole preparatory thing, like Sherry said, for about a year and everything else in her, presented before the queen, the king, and, like I said, long story short, he's smitten with her, you know, and everything else, and so she ends up becoming Queen Esther. But what he does not know is that Esther is a Jew person, she's Jewish, and he does not know that. And he marries her and Esther and Mordecai, her uncle. They don't say anything. And I'm assuming at the time that Xerxes never inquired. He was just so smitten with her, you know, with her beauty Out of all the women in the land. You know, he chose her. So it seems like, because when you go back to Vashti, and she was so beautiful and he wanted her beauty to be seen by all the men in the land and for her to dance in front of them or be in front of them or something, it just tells me that physical beauty meant a, that he was more about their physical beauty, I think, than asking questions and getting to know them.
Speaker 1:But her uncle, Mordecai, one night, was just sitting by the guard gauge or something, I think, perhaps waiting to talk with Esther or something, and he overhears a plot to. They were, I think, talking about two guards. I think were talking about assassinating the king, King Xerxes, and he's just at the gate. He was waiting outside the gate and I think he was waiting for Esther and he hears this plot and then he ends up telling Esther about it and Esther told the king and the two guards were hung.
Speaker 1:And so we go, you know, as it further goes along, you know, in Esther there's this guy in her name, Haman Haman, or Haman, you know, who just really hated the Jews and he was just absolutely determined to like get rid of them. And he really didn't like Mordecai, you know. And so eventually he issues this, he decides to, you know, go after all the Jews. Uncle Mordecai finds out about it. He tells Esther he's like you've got to go to the king, you have found favor in a king's sight, you know, and everything else, because Haman is threatening to come and kill all the Jews.
Speaker 1:And she really did not want to do that at first, because she prayed for her life, Because up until now he didn't know she was a Jew, you know, and everything else. And so she, even though she was his wife she's like you know, this could cost me my life and she, I think, talked to her servants and everything, and then I think they did three days of fasting and prayer before she went to the king and she, you know, she was just like everybody fast and pray because I may see you again, I may not. You know, just kind, king, you know everything. And how Haman was about to, you know, he's, you know, sent down an edict or whatever.
Speaker 2:I don't think he could have done an edict because he wasn't the king, but he was like a nobleman in high regard, high authority and everything else and, long story short, the king listened to her and everything and they were able to squash that type of rebellion and Haman for Mordecai, yeah, yeah, and then his sons ended up getting killed too.
Speaker 2:And one thing that I wanted to point out that you were talking about is he tricked the king into giving the edict. He tricked the king into signing it with his signet ring and that was why, when they found out and Esther, she did a two-day thing with asking the king. She didn't come right out and ask him at the very beginning. She was very wise in the way that she presented it, in building things up and then, um, you know, humbly going before the king. So I wish I had her skills, because not that she didn't manipulate, didn't manipulate the king at all, she just did it in a very honoring way, knowing she studied her husband and knew what he knew the kind of man that he was and his personality and what would work the best with him, and so she, and obviously she had three days of fasting.
Speaker 2:So it was really god wisdom, we know, not not hers, but man, I wish I had those kind of skills, because and bravery, yes, exactly.
Speaker 1:And bravery because, like she did not know, I mean he could have been. You know well, he divorced Vashti when he got mad at her, you know, and I mean he could have killed, he could have easily killed Esther, or had her killed, rather, you know for that. And so that took a lot of bravery to be able to go there and, like you say, the whole way she did it was so honoring to him, yes, and honoring to God, honoring to her uncle, all at the same time. But she knew that if she did not, she was in that position, that she was the only one who could stop the massacre that Haman was planning for all the Jews and there was no way that she could be there and see all of this happening and she would have been spared because if she kept her mouth shut they never would have known.
Speaker 1:But who could sit there? And you see all your family and friends and loved ones just massacred, right, you know, with the sword, with axes and just, you know, knives and just everything. And you sit there and you're quiet. So she knew that she had to intervene. At least she could say, if it all went south, that I tried.
Speaker 2:Well, not funny, ha ha. But the interesting thing about it is that when the King found out about it and he murdered well, he put to death payment because of his evilness the King was like I can't just stop this edict because once it's sealed with my ring, nothing will stop it, but you're right. Here's what you can do.
Speaker 2:I'm going to give another edict that says you guys get to fight back, you know when it's going to happen, get prepared and we will be with you type of a thing. You can do this, you can do this. So God didn't let them just get rescued automatically with a snap of a finger. God made the Israelites work back for it, or the Jews work back for it, but God was still in the victory and God still gave them victory.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, and that is so key because he gave them the weapons and they helped them fight back.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:Because before it would have been just like a massacre, like I said, and they would have been caught off guard.
Speaker 2:They would have never known Um and everything else.
Speaker 1:And so we, you go. Okay, kara, but that was thousands of years ago. You're talking about especially Old Testament, you know how's that? You know? Reply uh, relate to us today. And all we have to do is look at the world.
Speaker 1:Um, she was afraid to tell anyone she was a Jew. Um, in America now, on a lot of campuses, there are students that are afraid to do that because of the protests and the things that are happening and that are going on in the Middle East. A lot of them have been targeted here in this nation. They're afraid to let people know if they're Jewish or not because there may be protests, you know, and everything else. Jewish businesses can be attacked because of what's going on and what has gone on in the Middle East in the past couple of months and things like that. And then you know there was that massacre in Israel that just happened, you know, last fall, because of who they are.
Speaker 1:So the stuff that happened thousands of years ago still happens today. Still happens today, and it's just the people have changed, the circumstances have changed, the situations have changed, but it's still that way today. And except today, now, this wasn't the case in Esther's time and except today. Now, this wasn't the case in Esther's time, but today it's even more people who are ostracized and or mocked. That way, christians are, as believers, when you come out against some of the things that the media is saying or trying to teach your children, or you know, saying this is okay and that is okay, and then as Christian believers who believe in the Bible, and we say no, that's not okay, and this is why You're ostracized, you're targeted, you're mocked, and a lot of times you get so beaten down or you get canceled. You know, your social media accounts get canceled, your social media accounts get demonetized because you dared to say something that was biblical, and so, and a lot of times you're like man, me speaking out is just really costing me, not just financially, but then I have these threats coming against me if I say this again, or they're talking about canceling me. Then what about my career? You know, and different things like that.
Speaker 1:But a lot of times we have to do what Esther did. We just have to say go to your friends, go to your family, let's pray, let's fast, let's do this, and you know so we have the wisdom on how to move forward. What should we do in this situation? Should we continue to speak out, no matter what it costs? What should we do in this situation? Should we continue to speak out, no matter what it costs, or should we back down? And I think so many of us will be surprised when God's like you're on the right path. I'm going to give you the weapons to fight with. Oh, by the way, I already gave you the weapons you know to fight with. They're in a book of Ephesians. So what are your thoughts about this, sherry? I think that you are spot to fight with. They're in a book of Ephesians. So what are your thoughts about this, sherry?
Speaker 2:I think that you are spot on, Kara. I think that you know, when COVID started back in 2020, I was asking God how to pray, and none of us knew if it was going to last. None of us knew how long it would be. We just knew that there was a shift taking place and that there was something significant happening. And God brought me back to this lesson, this story in Esther, and my prayer has been for the last four years, and I will admit it hasn't been daily as recently as it was when COVID was active.
Speaker 2:It was daily when COVID was active, but my prayer was that God would hang payments by their own noose, rise up before the Christ and let the Esther's be strong and courageous and I didn't know exactly what that meant as far as how God wanted to do that and how he wanted to have that happen. That God would get the glory that we would, that his love would shine through us as his children, to those who were afraid, to those who were grieving because of losing loved ones, to whatever it is, whatever assignment that God had given us. And so that has been my heartfelt prayer that the Hamans will get hung by their own noose, that God's justice would prevail, and I didn't name. The Hamans's will get hung by their own news that God's justice would would prevail, and I didn't name the Haman's.
Speaker 2:God knows who the Haman's are.
Speaker 1:I didn't name anybody.
Speaker 2:I just sat there and I said whoever you, this is, this is all about you, lord.
Speaker 2:Um, it was just my way of of of dedicating and bringing it all back to him, letting him know that I trusted him and letting him know that I was willing and able to do whatever it was that he wanted me to do, even if I needed to have the courage of Esther to do it. And I think that's kind of where we're at still, In fact, maybe even more. So we need to have the courage. First off, we need to have the prayer, and this is where prayer and fasting comes in. We need to have the prayer of discernment of God which is our battles to fight and which ones aren't. Sometimes God's going to call us to fight the battles in public. So that might mean going before your school board. That might mean.
Speaker 2:So that might mean going before your school board. That might mean talking to your legislation. That might mean being a vocal voice in a broad big platform. It also might mean doing smaller things that mean just as much was to spread joy and to help people focus on faith instead of on fear.
Speaker 2:That's why I started the membership so that, as people came to know God and as people wanted to step up and grow their relationship with God but didn't have a clue how to do it or didn't know where to start that they would have a place to go that would give them guidance not tell them what to do, but just give them guidance so that they can grow their relationship with God their own way, their own time, but have guidance of ways to do it, to not feel alone in the journey, to not feel like they were by themselves. Esther, like you said Tara, esther called her surface around her and called her friends and family, and Mordecai said I've got your back, esther. You know I'm having all the people from the village. We're all praying and fasting too. It's a time of coming together and it's a time of community. So I really feel like Esther's story gives us that call to action of what is our part to play today.
Speaker 2:What is it that God wants us to do? Because, like Mordecai said to Esther, he said that she could have been saved if she kept her mouth shut. She might have never ever found out she was a Jew. But Mordecai said regardless, you're going to get killed too, like you're going to be affected by this as well. So who's to say that God didn't call you for such a time as this? So who is to say that God? Well, we know that God had us be born so that we would be alive in 2020, 2021, 2024. Like God has a purpose and a plan. Plan, and we are here for a reason.
Speaker 2:So I think that's what the main challenge is that I want to give to people today. Not only go back and read Esther for yourself. It's not that long, it's six or seven chapters maybe, but it's so full of so much truth and so much encouragement and so much. And the other part that I want to point out with with like God's timing is everything. God, it may seem to us like God taking forever to answer our prayers.
Speaker 2:It might seem to us that, okay, god, why can't we just get back to normal? Like, like we've been in this state of unrest and it just keeps getting worse, or it seems to be getting worse instead of better. Well, don't you think Mordecai felt the same way, that it was getting worse instead of better? But one thing that we got so involved and so caught up in the story, kara, that we forgot to tell people was that God knew, and God had it all planned out of how and when. Exactly when Mordecai, no sorry, when King Xerxes' heart would be the softest and he couldn't sleep one night, and so he wanted to read the annuals, which I'm thinking.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's right, You're right, yes.
Speaker 2:So he called for the annuals to be read and, like I said, I think that would be incredibly boring and put me to sleep as well. Good choice. But he was reading the annuals and it was in the annuals that it talks about when Mordecai had saved his life. And so he got to thinking he was in the right frame of mind, his heart was softened and he's like did we ever um celebrate mordecai for this? Did we ever say, hey, thank you, dude, you get a reward, you get a prize, you get a medal? And they were like, nope, I don't think we did. And so that set the stage for king xerxes heart to be soft towards mordecai, so that when the truth came to light and he found out that his right hand man and haman had been deceiving him this whole time, it's the pieces clicked together for him better, it wasn't that? Oh, you know, are you sure we need to investigate this?
Speaker 2:more no it was oh wow, you know that fits the pieces of the other part. So Mordecai saved my life once. Why would he be lying to me now, whereas look at what Haman's been doing? I think that the charges against him probably are true. And then the other part that we didn't talk about either. Kara and I had had to go back to read this again because I'm like was this really true or is this my imagination?
Speaker 2:But Haman had, I think, seven sons, and all of his sons ended up getting hanged too, and I think it might have been during the final battle so it's like in the past, when god would, um, would have them destroy cities and towns like jericho and so forth, and they would destroy every part of it, not leaving any little piece of idol worship for the is to cling to. That same sitting is happening in this story as well that not only was Haman evil, but his seven sons were evil as well, and in order not to have them rise up and cause another revolution or whatever those things are called Rebellion, thank you.
Speaker 2:Then they were also killed as well to to have a clean slate, to have it so that the Jewish people could live in peace at least for X number of years. So when you look at the story that way and you see all the little different pieces of the puzzle, god is in every single piece of the puzzle. But it took a while, like they found out about this attack that was going to happen and it wasn't going to happen for a couple of months. So they had to prepare. So they had a choice they could worry or they could prepare. And they chose to prepare and they were able to be victorious. And they weren't victorious in their own strength, they were victorious because of God and how he had orchestrated the whole thing so that they could cleanse.
Speaker 1:And I just want to insert real quick, because the more you peel back the onion, it's God's hand was all over it. Right, because what queen would deny the king? And, you know, still expect to live. But that's what Vashti did. She's like, yeah, no, I'm not coming, which then led to him divorcing her and putting her away and searching for a new queen.
Speaker 1:And then, out of all the beautiful women in the land, he falls for Esther. Right, you know it was, he falls for Esther. And he's like, hey, you know, and he doesn't just fall for her, it seems like, even though his search, his only qualification, was beautiful, as you read the story of Esther, you realize that he actually, I think, really liked her. He loved her, you know, agreed, yeah. So God's like, hey, this thing is going to happen. The queen, she's going to rebuff you or whatever, but that's okay, because this is all going to work out, just watch. And so we just never know the positions that God is going to put us in.
Speaker 1:Esther was just living her everyday life as a beautiful young woman, right, probably planning to get married soon, and you know, and everything else. And all of a sudden she's there's like this beauty pageant, and she catches the eye of the guy who's running it, and then there's this preparation. So she went from your everyday person to like a queen and she probably never, ever, saw that happening in our life. But God, but God. And not only was she the queen, she had a huge purpose there. Right, she had a huge purpose.
Speaker 2:We also have to think about King Xerxes, because how many of these kings were so mean and so vile that they would have killed Vashti, but they didn't. So, God, in all of his love, he put King Xerxes as the king at that particular point in time in history and he made him have a softer heart so that he would listen to Esther and not automatically kill her because she approached the king without permission and without having an appointment.
Speaker 1:Exactly. And so when things are going on in your life right, it's like they, you know that saying when things are falling apart in your life and it all just seems to be falling apart on this corner, that corner up, down sideways, and you're like, oh my gosh, everything's just falling apart, you need to ask yourself is it falling apart or is it all falling together?
Speaker 1:Because, when you look at that whole situation with Esther and everything else, and everyone's afraid and feared and they're like, oh, my goodness, they're going to kill us, you know, and everything else. And if she's afraid, like, oh, he's going to think I deceived him and all this other stuff, and it looks like it's all falling apart and that people are going to die and that things are, all you know, about to go crazy and blood's about to be shed. And you're like it's all falling apart. But God, who is ultimately in control? He's just it's all falling together, you know, it's just all falling together.
Speaker 1:And I think the book of Esther, along with other biblical books, especially in the Old Testament, but how it just looks like everything's just going to go haywire, like it's all over right, and then, all of a sudden, god's just like, yeah, well, no, it's not, it's all just, have a little faith, trust in me, it's all going to work out. So sometimes, when we are in those situations and that's why I say, when we go through these stories and you're thinking, oh, that was thousands of years ago, stuff like that ain't happening today. Oh, yes, it is in more ways than one, and if we take anything from that is that it may look like it's all falling apart. There may be wars and rumors of wars, and you know, people may be doing this and they may be doing that, and we're like, oh my gosh, god, this country, this world, the globe, you know they're just. Everything is just so chaotic and people are just doing things that are against the Bible or like it's just so bad, and it looks like it's all falling apart.
Speaker 1:But is it, or is it all falling together? And I think that's what God just wants us to know is just trust Him and be like I don't know what's going to happen, I don't know how this is all going to play out, but I know you and I trust you, and you have promised in your word to look out for your people, and so and I am your daughter, I am your son, I am your child, so I know it's all going to work out. You know I don't need to get afraid or whatever, because you've given me everything I need. You have taught me everything I need to be able to withstand everything that's going on now. You have given me the armor that is talking about in the book of Ephesians. You've given us the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 1:You've given us so much, and all you ask is that we just fear not and trust in you. Did that make sense, sherry?
Speaker 2:That was the perfect way to end our podcast today, kara. In John 16, 33, it tells us that well, jesus is speaking to us. He says these things I have spoken to you that in me you may have peace In this world. You will have tribulation. Not you might, maybe kind of sort of If you're lucky you won't, but no, you will. You will have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world here and be like oh really, god, why?
Speaker 2:No, no, no, no, no. I want to live in the peacetime, I don't want to live in a world of tribulation. But, as I was just talking to Kara, before we actually started the podcast this morning, I've been reading some books for one of my jobs and God really shows well, no, let me rephrase that God is always there with us. Some of us, speaking about myself, have more stubborn personalities than I care to admit, and it takes more tribulation, more problems, more issues for me to turn to God. I hate to say that, but it's the truth and I have learned. I have learned over the years and as I've grown up, how to stop resisting and, when trials and tribulations come, to start saying okay, god, what do you want to teach me in this situation? Okay, god, what do you want me to learn?
Speaker 2:Have also started praying the prayer lately of God. I want to be so close to you and so intimate with you that I hear you on the littlest whisper, that I hear you in the littlest nudge that you give me, and I will turn that quickly. Those are the prayers that I have, because that is the kind of relationship I want with God. I trust him. I know that he's going to come through. If I'm still dealing with issues, then that means that he isn't finished yet. That means that there's still more that we need to go through together and that he needs to keep me, or that things aren't ready yet, they aren't lined up yet. That doesn't mean that I've done anything wrong. It means maybe we're waiting for the other piece to the puzzle. Like with Mordecai. Mordecai had to have given the king the plot of the people trying to kill him, and then God had to wait until the king was ready and his heart was soft and he couldn't sleep at one night.
Speaker 2:So, like all the pieces have to come together. So let's see if you're still struggling, if you're still dealing with issues, if you're still dealing with a huge tribulation in your life. Rest assured and take comfort in the fact that God's not finished yet. His timing is still working it out and, trust me, we want His perfect timing. We don't want it to be on our timing, because if we do it too early, then it's not all lined up yet and it's not going to go the way that the answered prayer needs to go.
Speaker 2:Either way, though, when you are his children, when you are his son, when you are his daughter, he is always working for our good. Sometimes that good comes through the trials and tribulations to teach us the things that we need, because I've always told my kids too and I don't think that they liked it as much when they were younger but I'm like. I'm not here to give you an easy life. God's not here to give us an easy life. He's here to prepare us for life. He wants us to be prepared, he wants to build our character. He's more, it's more important to him that we have the character that we need in order to face the challenges and succeed and have the victories in life that we need, than for us to just skate through life. That's not his purpose. I don't think that's the purpose of any good loving parent, is it Kara?
Speaker 2:We know for our kids, and that's training them and allowing them to go through difficulties. It hurts our hearts when they go through the difficulties, but we know that that's the only way that they're going to learn the skills they need to be the successful people that we want them to be, that they want to be. So that's really kind of what we want to end with today. So our suggestion and our encouragement is to go and read Esther for yourself. Ask the Holy Spirit, before you start reading, what it is that he wants to highlight for you, what he wants to teach you in this wonderful, amazing story Well, I say story, but it's really a historical event, so I hate to use the word story To go read the historical event that truly happened and if you want to talk about it, if you have, if you need encouragement or you want prayer, head over to the cheer up podcast at gmailcom or head over to our Facebook group and start a discussion there, and then we can, as a community, talk about what we're learning and what the Holy spirit has been teaching us.
Speaker 2:Also, head over to Kara's website, karahrhuntcom, or Sherry's website, sherryswallwellcom, and you can see the latest things that are going on with us. We absolutely positively love being here with you all. We love sharing and just connecting with you every week on Wednesday, so we thank you for being here. Next week, we're going to be talking about Jeremiah, and I have to say I don't know as much about Jeremiah as I do about Esther. So I'm as excited about next week's podcast as I hope you guys are, because I have a feeling that I'm going to learn a lot from Tara about Jeremiah and I can't wait to see what the Holy Spirit wants to teach me as well. So have a great rest of your week, have a wonderful day, and we will talk to you next week, thank you.
