“That night the king had trouble sleeping...” Esther 6:1 NLT
Have you ever had one of those nights when you just couldn't sleep? You toss, turn, look at the clock, roll over and try again, but you're wide awake.
We usually just get aggravated about it. But reading Esther 6 made me think differently. Not every sleepless night has some deep spiritual meaning, but the next time I'm lying there wide awake, I might just ask, “God, are You trying to get my attention? Is there something I need to pray about?”
Because in Esther 6, one sleepless night becomes part of the turning point of the entire story. Back in Chapter 2, Mordecai uncovered a plot against the king. He did the right thing, his faithfulness was written in the royal records, and then absolutely nothing happened. I remember saying then that I have a bad habit of wanting Chapter 6 answers while I'm still living in Chapter 2.
Well...here we are. This is Chapter 6.
The king can't sleep, so he asks for the royal records to be read to him, and of everything that could have been read that night, they come across Mordecai's name. The king realizes nothing was ever done to honor him. The thing that looked forgotten wasn't forgotten. It just wasn't time yet.
Then Haman walks in planning to ask the king for permission to hang Mordecai on the gallows he just built. But Before he can even ask, the king wants to know what should be done for someone he wants to honor.
Haman, being Haman, assumes the king is talking about him. He comes up with this huge public display of honor only to hear the king tell him to do every bit of it for Mordecai.
Yesterday Haman was building a gallows for Mordecai. Today he's leading Mordecai through the streets announcing his honor. And Esther didn't arrange any of this. Mordecai didn't remind the king what he had done. Neither one of them was even in the room when the story started turning.
Listen... I know I've spent way too much energy worrying about rooms I'm not in. What are they saying? Do they know the truth? Should I explain myself? Should I defend myself? But I'm learning that I don't have to be in the room for God to be in the room.
We don't have to force every door, defend every misunderstanding or make sure everybody remembers what we've done. We can stay faithful and trust God with the parts of the story happening outside our sight.
Mordecai had no idea when his name was written in that book that one sleepless night would bring it back up. Esther had no idea what was happening in the king's room. Haman certainly didn't realize that while he was making his plans, the story was already turning.
But God knew.
So the next time you can't sleep, before you get irritated and start counting how many hours you have left before your alarm goes off remember Esther 6. Maybe you need to pray. Maybe you need to listen. Maybe God is up to something you can't see yet.
Hidden, not absent.
His fingerprints are everywhere.
Love Pastor Mandy
Daily reading Esther 6
MandiesDandies / Ark of Hope
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#HiddenNotAbsent #Esther6 #GodIsWorking #GodIsInTheRoom #StayFaithful #HisFingerprintsAreEverywhere #ArkOfHope
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