Intervention

Today: Esther 6-10

There's a TV show called "Intervention" that I've never seen, but heard about. Supposedly, it's a show where people plea for a loved one battling some kind of addiction to get help.

You and I may not be battling life-threatening addictions, but I believe God uses people to intervene in our lives...and sometimes, He's the one intervening.

In the book of Esther, most people remember the heroic intervention of a beauty queen who had the courage to use her voice and her position "for such a time as this" (see yesterday's post). But did you notice how God intervened directly?

To be honest, I've read this story many times before and didn't recognize God's direct intervention. Let's take another look together here:

That night the king couldn't sleep.

He ordered the record book,

the day-by-day journal of events, to be brought and read to him.

They came across the story there

about the time that Mordecai

had exposed the plot of Bigthana and Teresh—

the two royal eunuchs who guarded the entrance

and who had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.
The king asked,

"What great honor was given to Mordecai for this?"

Hmm...I've always known that God speaks to people through their dreams (ala Joseph), but do you think God uses the moments when we can't fall asleep?

For some reason, at that exact moment, the king chose to read a record book (of all things!). It was a book that told a story about the heroic efforts of Mordecai, a leader of God's people--the same people the evil Haman was trying to eradicate. Coincidence?

I love how this story illustrates God's intervening power to save--whether He intervenes through our sleepless nights or through other people.

A few questions to think about:

• Have you ever had a sleepless moment--a time when a specific situation or person came to your mind in an out-of-the-blue way? What did you do?
  
• Have you ever had an Esther moment--a moment when you were called upon to be courageous and use your voice/position to help others?
  
• What do you think you should do in these situations? Are there examples from this passage and other parts of the Bible that give some clues?

Tomorrow: Job 1-4