DECEMBER 6

ESTHER 4:1–17

The God who works in the light also works in the shadows. If
you do not see his hand, don’t conclude that he isn’t working.

 

When I counseled people, they would tell me their stories.
Often they would recount their lives and express no sense
of God’s presence or influence. I found this jarring. So I would
act as a tour guide, walking them back through their stories and
pointing out evidence of God’s presence, care, provision, and grace.
Sometimes God works in the bright light. His hand is obvious, and
his care is clear. But sometimes it is hard to “see” God. In these
moments, it’s tempting to wonder whether he is near and whether
he is doing anything. So it is important to understand that the God
who works in the light also works in the shadows. His sovereign
power and redeeming care are not always clear, but we ought not

think he is absent, distant, inactive, or uncaring. God never for-
sakes his own, and he never fails to deliver what he has promised.

The assumption that we can’t see evidence of his presence or care
does not mean he is not present and at work.
I think one of the reasons the book of Esther is in the Bible is
to teach us this lesson. Esther is one book of the Bible that does
not mention God’s name. This has troubled many people, but it
shouldn’t because there are evidences of God’s power, presence,
and care for his people throughout this little Old Testament book.
God works in the shadows to cause Esther to rise to prominence
in order to preserve his people. In so doing, God gives hope to
the world, because out of those people the Savior would come

and ultimately make new again everything broken by sin. With-
out Esther, the Jewish people would have been destroyed, and

there would have been no birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem,

no righteous life of Jesus, no substitutionary death, no victorious
resurrection, and no ascension to the Father to intercede for his
own. The world would have been trapped in sin and doomed with
no hope.
The amazing outcome of the story of Esther cannot and should
not be attributed to human initiative, wisdom, and ingenuity

alone. Behind everything, God is controlling circumstances, work-
ing in people’s hearts, and determining outcomes. We should be

thankful for Mordecai and Esther, but God is the ultimate hero
of this portion of Scripture. His providential care guarantees that
his people and his work of redemption will have an eternal and
glorious future.
You may not always see God’s hand, but you can rest assured
that your Lord never ceases working for your good and his glory.
Remember that the God who is active in the light is just as active
in the shadows. Even though his name might not appear to be
plastered all over your story, he is with you, in you, and for you—
and that is reason to rest in his care and give yourself to his work.

 

Prayer

O Great God, I know that you are always working. Although I do
not always see your hand, help me to trust in you nevertheless. Show
me how you have been working the past. Thank you for working
out all things for your glory and my good, especially through the
salvation of mankind through Christ, in whose name I pray, amen.