It's not difficult to determine the quality of tea. All you need to do is dip the tea bag in boiling water and then take a sip. The truth is in the flavor. In like manner, to measure a person's integrity, simply drop them into an impossible situation and see what happens. Today, on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindahl points to one of his favorite Old Testament characters.
Esther lived in treacherous times. And in the crucible of a crisis, she discovered something that made all the difference, the quiet, transforming power of waiting on the Lord. When you wait on the Lord, you don't have to walk around in a daze. humming sweet hour prayer or some other old hymn. You don't have to go out on some hillside and strum a guitar all by yourself.
Mostly you keep up your regular activities, You go right on with your business. Your spirit, however, settles into a posture of trust. As you prayerfully place your problem into the Lord's hands. and you wait for his timing. and for his strength That's right where we find Esther in today's account.
When she accepted her mission, to save her people the Jews. She asked Mordecai to gather all the Jews in Susa to pray. and to fast for three days. She and her maidens did the same The three-day fast was a quiet yet powerful interlude in the Queen's life. Waiting on the Lord strengthened her resolve.
So when it came time for her to act, She was prepared. emotionally and spiritually. and she knew that God was with her. I want to read for you sections from the fifth chapter of Esther which describes the precarious moment when when Queen Esther goes before the King, uninvited. I'm reading again from the New American Standard Bible.
Listen, please. As chapter five begins at verse one, Now it came about on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes, and stood in the inner court of the king's palace, in front of the king's rooms, And the king was sitting on his royal throne in the throne room. opposite the entrance to the palace. When the king saw Esther the queen, standing in the court, She obtained favour in his sight. and the king extended to Esther the golden scepter.
which was in his hand.
So Esther came near, and touched the top of the scepter. Then the king said to her, What is troubling you, Queen Esther? And what is your request? even to half of the kingdom it shall be given to you. Esther said If it pleases the king, May the king and Haman and come this day to the banquet that I have prepared for him.
Then the king said, Bring Haman quickly. that we may do as Esther desires.
So the king and Haman came to the banquet, which Esther had prepared.
Now, in verse 12, we get a glimpse of Haman's inflated ego. Don't miss that. Although honoured to be invited to the banquet, he was obsessed with rage toward Mordecai. and what he did next, sealed his fate.
Now listen closely as I begin at verse twelve. Haman also said, Even as to the queen, let no one but me come with the king to the banquet. Which she had prepared, and to-morrow also I am invited by her with the king. Yet all of this does not satisfy me every time I see Mordecai the Jew, sitting at the king's gate. Then Zarish his wife and all his friends said to him, Have a gallows fifty cubits high made, and in the morning asked the king to have Mordecai hanged on it.
Then go joyfully with the king to the banquet. And the advice pleased Haman.
So he had the gallows made. Uh You're listening to Insight for Living. To dig deeper into the book of Esther on your own, be sure to purchase our Searching the Scriptures Bible Study Workbook by going to insight.org/slash offer. Chuck titled today's message, Esther's Finest Hour. When it comes to touching the heart, few things can be compared to And so on.
or a story. We all know occasions where The right music mixed with the right lyrics wooed us back to God. Or maybe a friend of ours. A song that our mother taught us or sang. or some song we heard in a church service years ago.
There is nothing quite like the nostalgia. That brings us like a magnet back to the heart of God. seems to soften the soil. of our souls. And a story will do the same.
When you have the right characters who Carry out life issues in a plot that is mixed with adventure and. surprise and some humor. Along with Um purpose. And uh and ultimate Moral of the story: there's something about that story that sweeps us. Into um A right state of mind.
I don't know of a song that's found in the book of Esther, but what a story. It's a story of adventure and suspense mixed with enough courage and hope. And um A little bit of humor and a measure of surprise, and it sort of holds our attention. I was thinking this past week how how great it would be to make this story into a film. or to have it become a play.
Where people who knew the Lord of the story could carry out with passion. Words like Mordecai, as he says to Esther in Esther 4. Verse 14: If you remain silent at this time, Relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place. And you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?
with incredible Courage, Esther answers Mordecai's. admonition with Go and assemble all the Jews who were found in Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink. for three days. Night or day, I and my maidens also will fast in the same way.
And thus she answers, I will go to the king. Which is not according to law, and if I perish, I perish. And I can just hear the audience applaud. as the curtain closes. And this grand speech that prepares her to step into the place where she is not invited and to do what the king had not expected.
And she says, if I perish, so be it. What courage? C.S. Lewis would have been proud of her. You may remember, he is the one who said, We have people with heads and we have people with hearts.
What we need is people with chests. The old American word is guts. We need people with guts who will say, I will stand for this if I die. It's amazing what it does to the story of Esther. She says, if I perish, I perish.
But my conscience will not let me do. Other than what I have decided to do. I'm reminded of another who did the same. His name was Martin Luther. The date was April 18, 1521, at the Diet of Arms, where he said.
Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen. And the major prelates of the Roman church despised him to the bone.
and they would have killed him if they could. They excommunicated him. But there he stood. God helped him. And he struck the torch.
that lit the fire for the Protestant Reformation. Would you do that? Would you be excommunicated from your church? That stands against the very things of Scripture. Would you have that kind of guts?
That's why we admire a woman like Esther. And she not only says she will do it, she does it. She doesn't talk theory and then Deliver trash. She does what she says she will do, not knowing if she would live to see. That evening sunset.
Between chapter 4 In chapter five. of this ancient book of Esther. There is a white space in my Bible. And there is in yours. Nothing is recorded.
We began reading in chapter 5 of a woman who walks into the presence of the king, not knowing what the future held. Literally breaking the law of the land to interrupt the king uninvited. And it's easy for us to pass over this white space and miss the significance of it. It represents a silent yet powerful interlude. How easy to forget the source of Esther's strength.
How easy for us to believe that she was just sort of born with a Joan of Arc conscience. That she was a Florence Nightingale right out of the womb. Just as no one is born prejudiced, no one is born courageous. Do you teach your children to stand alone? Are you teaching your grandchildren to be people of character regardless?
That is the way they will learn it. Better still, are you modeling it? That leaves the message permanently etched in their minds. You see, Esther did not. Come unto this earth.
With a courageous heart. She learned it. from her mentor and adoptive father Mordecai. He knew how far he could stretch her with his challenge. And she took the bait.
And said, I'll do exactly. As you have taught me to do. But remember, it isn't in her own heart. You may have already forgotten her request. She says in the fourth chapter, verse 16 You and all the Jews in Susa fast for three days and.
My maidens and I will do the same. I take it that implied in this time of fasting where they do not eat. is also a time of prayer. She is waiting. On the Lord.
That's what fasting is all about. She has challenged Mordecai to round up as many as he can find who are the people of God in the streets of Susa. In the vast residential areas where the Jews lived, and she is saying, Pray for me. Fast for me. And my maidens and I will do the same, and we will see.
What God will do. We will wait. On The Lord.
Now, even though there is white space between these two chapters, don't think for a moment that God is. whiling away his time busy with other things. During the period of no involvement, God is at work. That's the beauty of his invisibility. Not only is he invincible, he is invisible.
He can be moving in a thousand places at the same time, working in circumstances that are beyond our control. You see, during a waiting period, God is not only working in our hearts, He's working in the hearts of other people. And all the while he is giving added strength. Hold your place here at Esther chapter 5 and turn ahead to Isaiah 4. Verse thirty-one.
For some of you, it is a favorite verse of scripture. Others, I am convinced, have never seen it. Let me introduce it to you if you have not. Isaiah 40. Those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength.
They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weary. Even though Isaiah's pen Put this on the manuscript. Centuries ago, That verse of scripture is as pertinent and relevant.
As what you read in the paper this morning. and far more trustworthy. Let me point out: if you like to mark certain things in your Bibles from this verse. Four Things that happen when we wait. First, we gain new strength.
Second. We get a better perspective. He says, we will mount up with wings like eagles. Eagles can spot fish in a lake three, four miles away on a clear day. By soaring like eagles while waiting, we gain perspective on what we have been dealing with.
We wait, we gain perspective. We get new strength. Third, we store up extra energy. We will run and not get tired. Notice it's.
Future tense. When we do encounter the thing we have been dreading, we will encounter it with new strength. There will be extra energy. We'll run and not get tired. Fourth, We will deepen our determination to persevere.
We will walk and not become weary. will deepen our determination to persevere. We'll gain new strength. We'll get better perspective. will store up extra energy.
Will deepen our determination to persevere. That's what happens when you wait. And you know what? During the period of waiting, nothing is happening. Nothing visible.
You could easily teach yourself or tell yourself at the time, nothing is going to change. I am waiting in vain. It's not going to change. Don't you believe it? That's one of those times you can't believe the enemy's message that's coming into your mind.
In fact, look down at 41:10, still in Isaiah. 41.10. Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not anxiously look about you. That's what we do when we wait, if our eyes aren't on the Lord.
Do not anxiously look about you. I am your God. I will strengthen you. Surely I will help you. Surely I will uphold you with my righteous hand.
Verse 13: For I am the Lord your God who upholds your right hand. Who says to you, do not fear? I will help you. See, it's those kind of thoughts that Esther poured over when she was waiting for three days. Mordecai followed.
Look back at Esther 4:17. Mordecai did just as Esther had commanded because now the roles are reversed. He's no longer in charge. She is. Or better still, the Lord is.
And the Lord has her heart, and she is now unafraid of what she's going to be facing. It is a silent yet powerful interlude in the time of the Queen's life. And may I pause and say, this may be one of those times in your life. You see, God hasn't recorded Esther. uh chapter four and chapter five for us to learn a little Persian history.
God has recorded this book for us to apply it. on a daily basis. Maybe it's time for you to fast. and for you to call upon a few close friends to fast with you. Maybe it's time for you to say, I'm not going to get involved in this.
unpredictable An unprecedented situation. I don't know my way through. I can't find the path to walk, so I'm going to wait. In the meantime, I'm going to give it to God. I'm going to listen with a sensitive ear.
I'm going to watch with a sensitive eye. Remember the psalmist's words? For this shall everyone that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found. Surely in the floods of great waters, they shall not come nigh unto him. The psalmist says, Thou art my hiding place.
Thou shalt preserve me from trouble. Thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. And God answers, I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go. I will guide thee with mine eye. I will guide thee with mine eye.
Do you hear that? The eye makes no sound when it moves. It requires a sensitive eye to watch the movement. of God's directions. And all he may do is turn your attention in another direction, and that's all you may need.
When you wait, You listen. You pore over a passage of his word that you love. You quietly give attention. to his presence. and to his direction.
That's what happens in between these two chapters. You're going to love Esther's approach as she steps into the presence of the king. Your Bible is now open to Esther chapter 5. You will find her introducing a calm yet very wise plan.
Now comes the moment of truth. The three days are over. She doesn't know if she's going to live through the first glance of the king. Watch closely. It came about on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king's palace in front of the king's rooms.
And the king was sitting on his royal throne in the throne room opposite the entrance to the palace. And it happened. When the king saw Esther the queen standing In the court. She obtained favor in his sight.
Now, look at that. She had no idea what would happen when she stepped into the courtroom of the king. She found favor In the king's sight. Put in the margin of your Bible, if you have a pen handy, Proverbs 16:7. Just trust me.
Proverbs 16, 7. When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. But you love that verse. When my ways please the Lord, God honors that. by doing something in the heart of my enemy.
And in some period of time, and I don't know how long. He changes his heart toward me. You might also put Proverbs 21, 1. The heart of the king. In the hand of the Lord.
It is like water. No king has ever made God sit up straight. God is not intimidated no matter how powerful the authority. God is not chagrined in the presence of your enemy. He can handle him.
He can even handle your husband. He can handle your wife. He can handle your kids. He can handle your pastor. He can handle the person that gives you grief.
Your ex-mate. That person who made you all those promises and then went bad on them. He can handle the most intimidating situation because, in the hand of the Lord, any heart is like water. Look at this woman. She walks in, she's not trembling, she's confident in God.
And when the king saw Esther standing in the court, she not only obtained favor in his sight. He extended to Esther the golden scepter. Remember, she mentioned this in chapter 4 earlier when she was telling Mordecai she wasn't sure she could follow through, and now, confident. The king extends the scepter, and she Touches the top of the scepter, which is making a connection with the king. And look at his response.
The king said to her, What is troubling you? Queen Esther. I love that. I mean, she didn't know what to expect. And he says to her, What's on your mind?
What's troubling you? In fact, he goes further. What is it that you request? What's your request? Even to have the kingdom, it will be given to you.
Not only does she find favor, he says, What do you want? Name it. It's yours.
Now this is her moment. To rip on Haman. But she doesn't. She could have said, I'm glad you asked. I've got a list of complaints you will never believe.
She doesn't even tell him what's troubling her. This is a wise woman. She isn't in a hurry. You know why? She has been waiting.
On the Lord. You get in a hurry. When you don't wait on the Lord. You do rash things. You operate from your hip pocket.
You shoot off the top of your head. You run off at the mouth. You say things you wish to goodness you hadn't said a day or two later, but when you wait on the Lord, He's got a hold of your spirit. He's got you under his control. And look at her response.
This is beautiful. Esther said, If it pleased the king, May the king and Haman come this day to the banquet. that I have prepared for him. Woo! Is that incredible?
You say, what are you laughing at?
Well, when in the world did she prepare the banquet? I thought she's been fasting.
Well, she's been preparing the banquet while she was fasting. That represents enormous control. If you have ever dieted, you know what I'm talking about. Here is a woman for three days. Has been working with her maidens on this fabulous band, which she's going to serve her husband, the king.
and her enemy, Haman. Waiting on the Lord doesn't mean withdrawing from life. it means staying fully engaged while trusting him completely. That's exactly what Esther modeled, and it's a lesson we all can learn from. To go deeper into Esther's story, Insight for Living has prepared several resources to guide you in your personal studies.
Each one will equip you to go deeper into the story of this woman of remarkable strength and dignity. For example, our Searching the Scriptures Bible Study workbook lets you move from hearing the story to working through the text at your own pace, with probing questions and guided reflection. It's spiral bound and opens completely flat, so it rests right alongside your Bible. And there's plenty of room for your personal notes and observations. because your response to God's word is part of the story too.
Many of our listeners are using this Bible study workbook as a guide in their small groups, and it's great for classroom settings as well. To purchase the Searching the Scriptures Bible Study Workbook for Esther, visit insight.org/slash offer. Esther and Nehemiah, two very different leaders, two very similar callings. Both were ordinary people handed an extraordinary moment. God used Esther to save a nation.
God used Nehemiah to rebuild one. And while our current series has been focused on Esther's remarkable story, Chuck Swindahl has spent a lifetime studying leaders like these and drawing out the principles that never go out of style. His classic book, Hand Me Another Brick, takes Nehemiah's experience brick by brick and turns it into a practical guide for anyone who needs anything. We'd love to send it to you as a thank you for supporting this ministry. To send your contribution and request for the book in the mail, write to us at InsightForLiving.
Post Office Box 5000. Frisco, Texas 75034. Again, Chuck's book on Nehemiah is called Hand Me Another Brick. And our number again is 800-772-8888. Or visit insight.org/slash donate.
I'm Bill Meyer. Join us when Chuckswindahl continues to tell the fascinating story of Esther. Friday on Insight for Living. The preceding message, Esther's Finest Hour, was copyrighted in 1989, 1990, 1997, 2005, 2018, and 2026. And the sound recording was copyrighted in 2026 by Charles R.
Swindall, Incorporated. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited.
