2009 – Day 187.July 7 – Servant-Hearted Leaders

2009 – Day 187.July 7 – Servant-Hearted Leaders

Passage of the Day: Esther 2: 10 – 20 … Linked for study …

My Journal for Today: Swindoll points out what a model of quiet, strong femininity our biblical heroine, Esther, is for women who claim The Lord as Savior. Here she found great favor to the Eunuchs who were in charge of overseeing her development in the court of the King; and when she came before the King in her time, Esther found great favor with him. And yet, as Swindoll points out, she never lost her teachable spirit as well as her loyalty to her uncle, Mordecai [see verses 10, 20 in Esther 2].

And what does one usually find when someone with great physical prowess or beauty is singled out? Perhaps you are beautifully endowed or very intelligent or extremely talented and you’ve always been highlighted for your giftedness or external qualities. Maybe you won beauty titles; or you were the valedictorian of your class; or you became a star in the school plays; or you were able to court favor in politics. If any of these were the case, what do we usually see happen to such people?

Well, I think we all know the answer to that. Generally, when people are lauded for their external beauty or talent or prowess in some field of endeavor, that one takes on the “American Idol” syndrome, … letting pride consume the character of the favored one. But that was not Esther. No, our heroine beauty remained the humble servant girl with leadership and strength shining through her every choice and action. Our covert Jewish beauty remained true to Mordecai and true to her humble, teachable character no matter how many accolades came her way.

Esther learned from her uncle. She learned from the Eunuchs. And she apparently learned from the other women in the court. And above all, she learned from her God. So, when it came to her being thrust into the limelight of success, she was one who wanted to learn even more and not to think she had all the answers. >>> I hope we can all learn from this teachable spirit; and we need to internalize the lessons which Esther seemed to have as part of her character; >>> and that is the lesson of Prov. 3: 34, which is repeated in James 4: 6 or 1st Peter 5: 6 … that God can only pour His grace into the humble and not into the proud. That was Esther through and through.

My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to be humble like Esther. Amen