September 24, 2026

Scriptures: Esther 6–10 |

The second half of Esther turns on one wonderfully ordinary sentence: “That night the king had trouble sleeping.” No lightning falls from heaven. No prophet arrives with a message. The king simply cannot sleep, asks for the historical records to be read, and discovers that Mordecai once saved his life without ever being rewarded. At the exact moment Haman is preparing to destroy Mordecai, the king decides to honor him instead. God can accomplish enormous purposes through circumstances that seem completely ordinary.

The reversals continue rapidly. Haman arrives expecting recognition and ends up honoring the man he hates. Esther exposes his plot, Haman falls, Mordecai is elevated, and the Jewish people who were marked for destruction are given deliverance. The story that appeared to be moving inevitably toward tragedy suddenly moves toward celebration. Esther reminds us not to confuse what appears inevitable with what is actually final.

The Jewish people establish the festival of Purim so future generations will remember what happened. Their grief had been turned into joy and their mourning into celebration, and they refused to let themselves forget it. Grace is found in remembrance. We are often quick to remember what frightened us and surprisingly slow to remember how God carried us through it. Remembering God’s past faithfulness gives us something solid to stand on when the next uncertain chapter arrives.

All of this points clearly to Jesus. Esther is filled with reversals, but the greatest reversal in history happens at the cross. What appears to be Christ’s defeat becomes His victory. The grave that seems to end the story becomes empty, and the powers of sin and death are defeated through the very event that appeared to give them victory. Because of Jesus, we know that what looks final to us is never beyond God’s ability to redeem.

Challenge Questions:

Looking back, where can you now recognize God’s fingerprints in circumstances that seemed ordinary when they were happening?

What situation in your life have you mentally labeled as inevitable when God may not be finished with the story?