God in the Shadows

Has darkness crept into your life in a way that feels overwhelming? Do you wonder if life’s difficult circumstances and traumatic events are a matter of coincidence or bad luck? Sometimes seasons of darkness overwhelm us and we wonder who is really in control.

Drawing from the book of Esther, Jill Briscoe reminds us to look to the shadows in all circumstances, and we’ll find God standing there, orchestrating every detail. Although we may feel like Esther, swept away by our circumstances, He is there, fully in control. In Him we can place our faith and our burdens. Through Him, we find light in the darkness.

In this series, Jill encourages us to see that God has a purpose for all things, including our times of darkness and uncertainty. But first we must open our eyes to see God in the shadows.

If God called you to a difficult task in a difficult place, would you shine light into that place? Would you, like Esther, be a star for God? Esther is a great example of someone who faced seemingly impossible circumstances. She was forced to marry a very powerful, very worldly man: the King of Persia.

While not many of us can relate to such a circumstance as Esther had, we can learn from her faith and obedience. You are right in center stage of where God wants you to be and what God wants you to do in your life. Will you be obedient?

Scripture: Esther 1

Sometimes God's will isn't what we would have picked out for ourselves. It isn't what we want. And it's difficult to accept.

Esther's life didn't turn out how she wanted it to. She found herself separated from her family and married to the unbelieving King of Persia. Through these trials, God made Esther into a Supernova, shining even more brightly in the hardships. But before she could get there, she had to die to her own dreams and her own plan. Are you willing to do the same?

Scripture: Esther 2

Have you experienced a darkening sky in your life? When you find yourself there, do you shine brighter for it, or flicker out? Esther's life seemed to be a downward spiral of difficulties. But she continued to shine brightly for God in the unbelieving kingdom of which she was now queen.

As Jill takes you through the amazing story of Esther, a simple Jewish girl made queen, you will see that you, too, can be empowered by God to keep shining his light, even in an ever darkening sky.

Scripture: Esther 2

Upholding the "Christian" label in a world like ours is vulnerable—it’s risky. If we live rightly in our wrong world, sooner or later we will find ourselves in conflict or threatened.

When Esther's people, the Jews, were threatened, she had to choose whether or not she was going to stand up for them against the persecution of Haman. Would she keep her identity as a Jew a secret and save herself? Or would she stick her neck out and try to save the Jews?

Jill encourages us to be like Esther, and to be unashamed of the Gospel message in our witness.

Scripture: Esther 3

God will use you, no matter how broken you are, if you are obedient. This is the lesson we can learn from the book of Esther.

Esther started as a simple Jewish girl. But God asked her to be obedient, and she ended up risking her life to go before the king and make a request that her people be saved. She went with the knowledge that she would most likely be killed. But Esther had faith and was obedient.

Scripture: Esther 6-10

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