March 8 Waiting

Esther 5:6-10 And as they were drinking wine after the feast, the king said to Esther, “What is your wish? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled.” 7 Then Esther answered, “My wish and my request is: 8 If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my wish and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come to the feast that I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king has said.”
 
AS we have mentioned on prayer, there are many times God does not answer our prayers immediately. As any of us have prayed for God to act in specific ways, we know waiting for our Lord’s answer can be the most difficult aspect of prayer.
    Esther is before the king, and she has a life-saving request to ask of him. Yet, she waits. She, the king and Haman have had a good meal. Perhaps they discussed various events around them. Esther certainly exhibited great patience as she sat with her enemy Haman. In the midst of evil, Esther waited.
    She knew Haman’s high position in the kingdom. To accuse him before the king would be an assault to King Ahasuerus as well as to Haman. We have seen that the king wasn’t a man who would admit to a mistake. Perhaps he wouldn’t even care that Esther is a Jew. Perhaps he would prefer Haman over Esther. It is very possible, too, the king would have no concern that Esther’s life had been condemned by Haman’s hateful decree and his own assent to it.
    So she waits. Her waiting will show the king she is not an impetuous, emotional person who is scheming against Haman. She waits to enlarge the king’s favor toward herself. Perhaps in her prayer and fasting, she heard God tell her to wait. Her time with God has brought her closer to him. She has been with the King of Heaven to help her speak to the King of Persia.
    Indeed, we will see her waiting is truly under God’s providence. He will arrange matters to make Haman more vulnerable. The king will at the right time be fully open to her charges against him.
    Yes, it is good to know God is sovereign in all matters. When it seems we should act “right now”, perhaps we should wait a bit. There can be peace in our waiting as we trust God to act in his will. There can be peace in our waiting as we know God’s justice will ultimately come to those who oppose his ways. We will find hope in our waiting as we are assured God’s blessings will come upon those who honor his commands.
    As we are in prayer to seek the King’s favor, let us be reminded of Romans 8:25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
 
Prayer: Teach me to wait, Father. Help me know when to go, when to speak, when to rest, when to get up and go. In Jesus’ name, amen.