Recently I’ve spent some time looking closely at the story of Esther, with the help of Max Lucado’s “You Were Made For This Moment. “ (I highly recommend the read, by the way… or anything written by him!)

If you’ve read through the Book of Esther in the Bible, you may be aware that it never mentions God.

The plot is intense. The saga includes a king, a young Jewish girl who wins a beauty contest & is made queen, her cousin, Mordecai, and the wicked Haman who hates all Jews.

This story is primed to contain drama, yet when we read the factual account we tend to miss the feelings each person surely had.

I’m sure that emotions ran high throughout the story in the intensity of the situation.

We read about Esther’s actions and get this image of a brave, beautiful queen.

More than likely, she was terrified at times. Probably she questioned why she was chosen to fill that role. Maybe she looked around and wondered how she came to be in the center of such extreme circumstances.

God’s Name is never written in the story, but His Omniscience is woven into every detail.

Does your story contain seasons that feel like a detour from the route you’re wanting to pursue? Situations arise that seem totally unrelated to what you’re dealing with.

There were those times in Mordecai and Esther’s story, too.

In Esther 2:21-23, Mordecai reveals a planned assassination attempt on King Ahaseurus. His deed was written in the book of chronicles, and that was that.

Totally unrelated to Haman’s agenda to kill Mordecai and exterminate the Jewish race, right? So why is it there?

God doesn’t allow random things to happen. Every event of our lives is important in His greater plan for us.

Fast forward to chapter 6, and it begins with saying that the king is unable to sleep. What does he do? Commands the record book to be read to him. And… just like that, he wants to make sure this man was honored for revealing the attempt that was to be made on the king’s life.

The timing is perfect, because who should arrive, but an angry Haman. Except he doesn’t get a chance to speak, because the king is excitedly asking how to treat a man he wishes to honour.

Haman’s day did not go exactly as he wanted it to, and his plans spiraled downward from there.

God orchestrated so many little details to work out His plans and preserve His people…

He Alone can put us in the right place at the right time. If we’re seeking Him, we can rest in the assurance that we’re in the center of His will. Even if it doesn’t appear to make any sense right now, it’s all part of the bigger picture.

And if God seems absent from the situation, like He is absent from the written account of Esther – remember that “He is loudest when He whispers.” (Quote credit to Max Lucado).

God is working in the little details.

Nothing happens by chance or without a purpose.

Wherever we find ourselves in life, we are called only to be humble, honest, and faithful.

God’s taking care of the rest.