Self-Made Palaces

“In every province…there was great mourning…When Esther’s maids and eunuchs…told her…she was in great distress...” Esther 4:3-4, 8.

The scene described in Esther 4 makes it difficult to consider that the Queen was clueless as to what was occurring among her own people.  Although there was fasting, weeping and mourning she was so isolated and self-focused in the palace that she was disconnected from the pain of others.  It wasn’t until those closest to her brought it to her attention that she engaged in the suffering of others.  No doubt it was stressful within the walls of the palace but that did not give her a pass on being aware of the suffering of her people.

How many times do we build palace walls with the busyness of our lives?  How is it that we become so self-focused that we lose the connection with those around us who are hurting?  It took Esther’s maids and eunuchs to inform her of what was occurring within her own people.  We also have a messenger who points out the suffering of others if we invite Him to guide our lives – the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit is the one who brings the pain of others to our mind encouraging us to reach out…to engage…to connect to the challenges of others.

We were never meant to live in self-made palaces with walls of isolation and gates of self-focus.  We were made to live in the courts of our King where we place the needs of others ahead of ourselves.  We were created to be the hands and feet of God, sharing His love and comfort with a hurting world.  We cannot be self-appointed queens and kings who sit upon our throne unaware and unattached to the suffering of others.