By Jessica McKillip
Who is your king?
Esther 1 paints a picture of King Ahasuerus, the king of the Persian empire during our story of Esther. It’s not a pretty picture. King Ahasuerus is a volatile, egotistical ruler with a love of wealth and power. He tends to drink lots, be easily angered, and is vengeful when told no. King Ahasuerus is a ruler over a vast kingdom. He conscripts sons into his army and daughters into his harem. He wields absolute power.
The story of Esther points to the need for a better king and a better kingdom than any we find in this world. Isaiah points to the promise of a better king.
“See, a king will reign in righteousness
and rulers will rule with justice.Each one will be like a shelter from the wind
Isaiah 32:1, 2
and a refuge from the storm,
like streams of water in the desert
and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.”
Doesn’t that sound like a better king than King Ahasuerus? A king that reigns in righteousness and justice? A king that is a shelter and a refuge? A stream of water in the desert? It’s easy to dismiss the story of Esther as not applicable to our lives today. We don’t live under the authority of an earthly king. Or do we? If we’re not worshipping King Jesus, we are worshipping something or someone else. The Bible tells us we can’t serve two masters. I want to serve the master who is righteous, just, a shelter, and a refuge.
What’s a practical step I can take this week to help keep Jesus as king in my life? One way to ensure that Jesus is my king is to remember my calling. What is my calling? To be a light in the darkness. To represent Jesus well to others. If I keep my calling at the forefront of my mind, my focus changes from the world’s perspective– a need for acceptance, comfort, security, money, fame–to an eternal perspective. What ultimately matters at the end of the day? Anything that will last eternally. That keeps Jesus on the throne of my life.
As we read through Esther 1, let’s ask ourselves the question, “who is my king?”.
Equip Her 