In the Face of Fear, Do Right ∙∙
For such a time as this. – Esther 4:14
Esther 3:8-13
Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of all other people, and they do not observe the king’s laws, so it is not in the king’s interest to let them remain.”
“If it is pleasing to the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed.”
Letters were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, women and children,
Esther 4:11-15
“All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that for any man or woman who comes to the king to the inner court who is not summoned, he has but one law, that he be put to death, unless the king holds out to him the golden scepter so that he may live. And I have not been summoned to come to the king for these thirty days.”
They related Esther’s words to Mordecai.
Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews.
“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”
God’s Purpose Will Stand
Throughout history, many individuals have overcome fear and stepped up in critical moments. They risked their safety, families, and even their lives to protect Jewish men, women, and children targeted for death. Unlike Queen Esther, these brave people were not Jewish themselves. Nevertheless, they acted decisively to save the children of Israel when threatened with extermination. Figures such as Oskar Schindler, Corrie ten Boom, and the citizens of Albania during World War II exemplify such moral courage.
At Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial in Israel, a garden is called The Righteous Among the Nations. Its purpose is to remember and honor those non-Jewish men and women who risked their lives during the Holocaust to save Jewish people.
Stanley writes, “Our faithlessness or cowardice never binds God. He desires to use us to bless His people, but if we fail to trust Him, He will use someone else. But He will always accomplish His will.”
Esther’s Courageous Decision
Esther might have reasoned that she could escape King Ahasuerus’s genocidal decree by concealing her Jewish identity. Mordecai, however, made it unmistakably clear that such a strategy would ultimately fail.
Esther confronted a difficult yet unavoidable decision. She came to understand that the Father had placed her in the Persian palace as queen for a specific and strategic purpose.
When a child of the King fully embraces this truth, a new perspective emerges. Such a person recognizes that his or her life remains under the Father’s sovereign rule until His will has been accomplished in and through them. Esther came to understand this reality. She became willing to risk her life to save her people, and her courageous surrender has stood for generations as a compelling example of faith and devotion.
Her courageous words echo down through the millennia: Esther 4:16: “If I perish, I perish.”
The Book of Esther stands alone among the Old Testament books. It is the only one that does not explicitly use the word God. Nevertheless, His presence is unmistakable throughout. He works quietly and providentially behind the scenes, accomplishing His purposes without spectacle, audible declaration, or public display.
The Responsibility to Act
Esther’s example reveals another closely related truth: when we know what is right, we have a moral obligation to act. Knowingly refusing to do so is more than hesitation. It is sin.
James 4:17: “Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.”
REFLECT & PRAY
Doing what is right is always the right choice. The Father places each of His children in a particular place and moment in history so that His will may be done on earth as it is in heaven. For some, that moment becomes especially clear and consequential. It is truly a “for such a time as this” moment.
Father, guide me to stay receptive to Your direction so I can recognize when and how to act. Empower me to respond with full obedience, no matter the price.
INSIGHT
Understanding Fear
Fear is a normal human emotion and a natural part of life. It is a powerful emotional response to the possibility of trouble, loss, or suffering. Sometimes fear arises from real danger or a legitimate challenge. At other times, it is stirred by a perceived threat with no clear or rational foundation. Even when fear is irrational, it remains profoundly real to the person experiencing it. As Stanley observes, when something threatens our lives, we naturally feel great fear. There is no sin in this. How we respond to that fear makes the difference.
Whether it is rooted in real or imagined danger, fear need not rule the heart. We can exchange it for faith, quiet confidence, and reverence for the Father, who is holy, sovereign, and majestic.
The Origin of Fear
Fear first appears in the Garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve chose to disobey the Father, they lost their innocence. Through their disobedience, sin entered the human race, and fear followed.
Genesis 3:7-10:
“At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the LORD God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the LORD God among the trees. Then the LORD God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’ He replied, ‘I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.’”
Fear often paralyzes us, keeping us from acting with courage and conviction. Its hold grows especially strong when guilt, shame, and awareness of wrongdoing undermine our confidence and cloud the path of faithful action.
Proverbs 28:1: “The wicked flees when there is no one pursuing, but the righteous is as confident as a lion.”
Freedom From Fear In Christ
Every child of the King has a Redeemer greater than every terror. The Lord Jesus Christ entered human history to deliver His people from fear through His sinless life, redemptive death, and resurrection. He now reigns in the heavenly places at the Father’s right hand and continually intercedes for His people.
In Ephesians 1:20, the apostle Paul revealed that “God raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at his right hand in the heavenly realms.”
The author of Hebrews asserts in Hebrews 7:25 that “He is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.”
Because of Christ, fear no longer holds ultimate authority over any child of the King.
1 John 4:18: “There is no fear in love, because perfect love expels all fear. … The one who fears is not perfected in love.”
The Lord Jesus Christ delivers His people from the bondage of fear. He breaks its lifelong grip and brings them into genuine freedom. Through His saving power, fear no longer has the authority to rule the heart, dominate the mind, or shape the course of one’s life. Instead, He calls His people to live in the liberty He has secured for them.
By faith, believers learn to embrace that freedom more fully. As they grow in trust, they begin to walk with increasing confidence, not in themselves, but in His abiding presence, unfailing promises, and sovereign power. This confidence is not rooted in changing circumstances, personal strength, or human certainty, but in Christ’s steadfast character. Because He is with His people, sustains them, and remains faithful in every season, they can move forward with courage, peace, and assurance.
Living In The Present Presence of Christ
Jesus Calling November 9
“Sit quietly with Me, letting all your fears and worries bubble up to the surface of your consciousness. There, in the Light of My Presence, the bubbles pop and disappear. However, some fears surface over and over again, especially fear of the future. You tend to project yourself mentally into the next day, week, month, year, decade, and you visualize yourself coping badly in those times. What you see is a false image because it doesn’t include Me. Those gloomy times that you imagine will not come to pass since My Presence will be with you at all times.
When a future-oriented worry assails you, capture it and disarm it by suffusing the Light of My Presence into that mental image. Say to yourself, ‘Jesus will be with me then and there. With His help, I can cope!’ Then, come home to the present moment, where you can enjoy Peace in My Presence.”
Courage in the Midst of Fear
Esther and countless others throughout history remind us that courage is not the absence of fear. Instead, it is the willingness to obey the Father even in the midst of fear. Courage does not deny the reality of danger or emotional struggle; it responds to both with faith-filled obedience.
Fear is real, but it need not govern the life of any child of the King. The Father remains sovereign over every circumstance, His purposes remain certain, and the Lord Jesus Christ is still present with His people. Every child of the King can press on, trusting that the One who calls them will also sustain them. The Father who marks out the journey also supplies the grace required to walk it.
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© Dr. H 2026
