Seek the Lord and Act

Esther and Mordecai, by Aert de Gelder

13 Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. 14 For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” 15 Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, 16 “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.” 17 Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him.—Esther 4:13-17, ESV

Mordecai understood the times and knew what to do. He influenced Esther who had the most influence with the king in order to stop the pending genocide of the Jews. He exhorted Esther with the truth of the situation and helped her overcome her fear of death. He helped her to understand the reality of God’s sovereign protection for His people as a nation, but at the same time, that she and her household may not escape. They knew that the time had come for them to seek the Lord and to act.

We face similar situations in our day, whether the pending doom is that of others who have not been reconciled to God through faith in Christ (we never know when anyone’s life will end), or whether it is due to some political or societal force. We must be wise about the times in which we live, and act accordingly rather than allow our desire for comfort to pacify us or allow our fears to prevent us from acting.