16“Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”
This is crunch time for the Jewish people. Esther has been put in a position of influence with a leader of the known world, even though she is a Jew. There is a plot to murder all the Jews, a plot planned because of one man’s anger and jealousy. Esther knows she must act, that she alone has a job to do that no one else is able to do. But this job could be her last. It could be fatal. So she asks for some serious prayer and fasting on her behalf. When really big, life altering decisions need to be made, it is always good to bath that decision process in prayer. Listening to hear God’s heartbeat instead of our many conflicting frequencies is essential. It was essential then, how much more in our world of distractions and conflicting messages. We are bombarded with the values of the world. We need to take time to block out this avalanche of false information and directions. We must learn to quiet ourselves and hear the voice of the Lord. Esther had to calm her fear of death before she could enter the king’s presence. That can be a very loud sound indeed! How loud is your world with competing voices, voices that drown out the Lord’s voice? Isn’t it time you found a quiet place to stop and listen?
The Arnold Journey 