Royal Beauty
Day 19 (taken from ARISE BEAUTIFUL ONE DEVOTIONAL)
4 min read
In the same way, God knows the potential He has placed inside of one each of us. But He also knows that we too need preparation and training to step into certain Kingdom Identity roles, otherwise it simply won’t work out. Timing is, of course, key. And knowing who we are meant to be and what we are called to do is not to make us proud, but rather to prepare us so that we may humbly carry His heart in the very moment when we too may hear these words spoken over us...
When God reveals our purpose to us, He is essentially saying: “This is the potential I have placed within you. This is part of what I created you to do.” This (usually) does not mean that it is yet a done deal. Instead, it’s showing us God’s plans for our future, thus giving us vision and direction for our lives. We’re not meant to make that end-goal role happen on our own as that comes through partnering with God. And our part is to surrender to the process in obedience and preparation. This then then leads us to the potential and promotion He has already planned for us ahead of time. Again, there are so many things we can learn from Esther’s story; but for today we’ll look at just four key things she did in finding favor with the king (and everyone else around her too, for that matter): [v]
1. Obedience. Esther listened and obeyed when God spoke to her. She respected and honored God and others, especially the leaders God had appointed in her life (e.g. her cousin, Mordecai, who raised her when she became an orphan; and Hegai, who trained her in the palace).
2. Conduct. As we know, Esther wasn’t born a royal. She had to learn the protocols of the palace and royalty within just 12 months. But she readily submitted to the preparations that were necessary to train her to be queen. She also knew the importance of prayer and fasting in order to find favor with Her Heavenly King, thus she was teachable and willing to surrender her own (and older) ways while embracing the necessary (and newer) ways.
3. Motive. Esther wasn’t trying to become queen for her own personal gain; instead, she was making use of the opportunity to try and save others (the Jewish nation who was then being persecuted). She knew that taking a stand would put her in danger of death, yet she was still willing to sacrifice herself (if need be) for that opportunity of saving and serving others.
4. Beauty. As we can see from all these points mentioned above, Esther already had a beautiful spirit and a beautiful soul. And we’re told in scripture that she was physically beautiful too - but it was these beautiful aspects of her life ALL coming together that caused her to stand out and shine brighter than the rest. Reflect: Our Kingdom Purpose (what we do) flows out of our Kingdom Identity (who we are).
Journal:
List all the underlined words in the four key points mentioned earlier from Esther’s story.
What stands out most to you on that list?
With regards to your personal Kingdom Identity and Purpose, how are you stewarding your promises and preparation process?
Group Question / Point to Ponder:
In today’s royalty/celebrity-obsessed, narcissistic-focused, and self-promoting culture, how do you think God can (and already does!) use you (and other Christians) to make a difference in the world?
Prayer:
“Father God, I see the necessity of preparation and training in my own life, and I want to submit to the processes that will grow and qualify me for the specific roles and purposes You have already planned out for me. Help me to grow and mature with wisdom and discernment so that I would be ready to be used by You at the proper and appointed times. For Your Glory, Amen.”
Spirit Note: “While it was the process that prepared her, it was Esther’s conduct and obedience that qualified her to step into that exact role and purpose.” Arise, Beautiful One Devotional
[i] From ‘Oxford Languages’
[ii] John 14:18
[iii]1 Peter 2:9
[v] Esther 2:15
