15When the turn came for Esther (the young woman Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail) to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her. 16She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
17Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18And the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality. (Esther 2)
Thoughts: Xerxes, the king of Persia who was defeated by the Greeks at Salamis, deposed his queen Vashti because she refused to parade in front of his dinner guests. He had a beauty pageant to determine his next queen, and Esther won. She was intelligent and beautiful, but also God had a plan for Xerxes and for his people. Esther may have thought that she simply won a beauty pageant and became queen, but God wanted to put her in a special place to save His people in their time of need. So God has a purpose for each one of us. He places us in position to do some good that no one else can do.
Prayer: Lord, let me find your purpose and calling upon my life.
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