Once Upon a Time...

I’ve just started Beth Moore’s study of Esther. So far I have really enjoyed it even though I am only on day two! I wanted to share a few words of encouragement with you that were super encouraging to me, a reminder of something God has been teaching me over and over these last few years.

The book of Esther starts out with the phrase, “This is what happened during the time of Xerxes.” As the verse continues you get the idea that the author, as inspired by the Holy Spirit, had a “once upon a time during the great and vast reign of Xerxes” story on his mind. However, Beth notes that these words in Hebrew are mentioned only 5 times in the Bible and they ‘all “introduce impending catastrophe or doom.’”

Beth continues, “Our first reaction may be the thought, ‘Then who wants a great story? Forget once upon a time!’ But I’d like to suggest that the nature of life on planet Earth swirls a certain air of impending catastrophe in every hospital nursery in the world. “

Beth is basically saying that all of us have troubles; all of us at one time or another find ourselves in sorrowful, dangerous, frustrating, sad times as well as good times. Sometimes there is rain and sometimes there is sunshine and sometimes there is both at the same time. She writes, “Beloved, something is always wrong! I still live in the real world where I get my feelings hurt, go to funerals, get rejected, catch a stomach virus and age overnight. Life is full of trouble whether in a sky-high mountain of small annoyances or an earth-splitting canyon of crisis. There’s no escaping it until we escape these mortal bodies. But here’s the good news. I also learned that in all five occasions where those same Hebrew words were associated with impending catastrophe, ‘the ending to each story is happy, but before the happy ending is realized, much grief occurs.”

Do you ever struggle with feeling like nothing goes right or does the question, “Why me?” sometimes roll through your mind or blurt out of your mouth? Sometimes we look around at everyone else and feel like we are the only ones struggling with something deep or frustrating or sorrowful. I think we have all experienced this in one way or another. But I have learned over the past few years while experiencing a few extremely frustrating, sometimes sorrowful things, even a few very stressful crises (while still dealing with the frustrating, sad, and patience-building things) that everyone goes trough trials. God is not picking on me. That is ridiculous and self-centered. God is good. We live in a fallen world. Our lives are products of a fallen world, even our bodies. We have an enemy who seeks to devour us, lurking around every corner. We can’t expect life to be hunky-dory all the time. Sure, God may use circumstances in our lives to grow us or discipline us but He is not “picking” on us. God has taught me to recognize that we all carry heavy burdens and sorrows at different times in our lives even though it may not be at the same time that I do. I don’t say this to say I feel better because other people suffer too. I don’t wish for anyone to suffer. However, God has shown me that “rain” is a reality of life and I needed to come to grips with that and learn to live through whatever this fallen world brings with joy, contentment and satisfaction in a thoroughly loving, sovereign God who knows far better how life should go for me and how my story ends than I do. I have to trust His goodness and His lovingkindness and His sovereignty even if what is going on doesn’t make any sense to my finite mind. Besides, in these last several years God has also mercifully bestowed on me countless, immeasurable, beautiful blessings. I can’t forget that! But even if I have sorrow all my days, the ending will be a good one because I know that God will use every last tear and blessing to make me more like Him and the more I am like Him, the more He is glorified and hopefully His kingdom is expanded. His glory and the advance of His kingdom are really all that matters anyway.

Beth sums it up well. “I think we know the part about much grief...no life is free of troubles, regardless of religion, race or nation. In fact, as Job said, every life is full of it. When we trust our lives to the hand and pen of an unseen but ever-present God, He will write our lives into His story and every last one of them will turn out to be a great read. With a grand ending. And not in spite of those catastrophes. Often because of them.”

And anway, what kind of story would it be that begins with “once upon a time” and ends with “happily ever after” if there wasn’t some kind of impending doom, a great climax, a thrilling adventure (and my life has certainly been that!) or a heroine who needed rescuing by her Prince?” Everyday is an adventure with the Lord and I wouldn’t want it any other way. :) But this ain’t no fairy tale. Let’s give praise to the most holy Story Writer, the real and forever King of all kings, our great and mighty Lord and Savior:

The Lord is gracious and merciful;

Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.

The Lord is good to all,

And His mercies are over all His works.

All Thy works shall give thanks to Thee, O Lord,

And Thy godly ones shall bless Thee.

They shall speak of the glory of Thy kingdom,

And talk of Thy power;

To make known to the sons of men Thy mighty acts

And the glory of the majesty of Thy kingdom.

Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

And Thy dominion endures throughout all generations.

Psalm 145:8-13