Heavenly Chess

“For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy, gladness and honor.”  Esther 8:16

In the Book of Esther, there was a 70 day span of time between the first decree announcing the future annihilation of the Jews and the second decree giving them hope.  The second decree gave them the right to assemble and protect themselves…at last, something that looked like hope!  But what about those 70 long days when the first thought every morning was probably their impending death?  What about those long nights when they likely laid awake in the dark wondering how it would do down…picturing their loved ones on that final day.  Day after day, as their eyes filled with tears and their hearts with fear, they couldn’t have known the psychological chess game being played in the palace.  They were not privy to the unseen battles of will waging behind those walls…and neither are we.

In life we have all received that news which marks our emotional calendar forever with heartbreak.  Life becomes divided in two parts…before the call and after the call.   Our fears keep us up at night and days are filled with emotional distractions.  In our hearts we feel as Paul felt, ‘We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.  Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death.’ 2 Co. 1:8.  Who is feeling the pressure of your situation this morning?  Whose life has spun out of control and far beyond the ability to endure?  Who is feeling the sentence of death this morning?

The good news is no matter what your circumstances involve, there is an unseen battle taking place in the heavenlies on your behalf.  It is not your battle to fight, but your faith to claim.  Just as the Jews were unaware as to the providence of God working in the palace, we are unaware of the circumstances God is putting in place to rescue us.  Each occurrence in our situation is a calculated move on God’s part to bring us through our adversity and be triumphant in the end.   ‘But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.  He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us.  On him we have set our hope…’ 2 Co. 1:9.

God sees the end to our suffering and in His perfect timing our Father’s hand will eventually move our circumstances to align with His purpose.  He will look at evil, smile and make His move…checkmate!