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ONE NIGHT WITH THE KING (Esther 2) THEME: God is never taken by surprise or caught off guard by circumstances and He always has His people prepared and in place to accomplish His sovereign purposes. In this chapter we meet two ordinary people, a Jewish orphan girl named Esther and her wise cousin Mordecai, who God providentially moved into positions of influence in Persia to rescue His people from a future plot to annihilate them. One was placed in the king’s bedroom and the other was placed at the king’s gate. It doesn’t get any closer than sleeping with the king and advising the king. Like a master chess player, God made TWO STRATEGIC MOVES in order to provide for and to protect and preserve the Jews amid Haman’s attempted holocaust. 1. ESTHER BECOMES THE KING’S WIFE (vv. 1-20) 2. MORDECAI SAVES THE KING’S LIFE (vv. 21-23) APPLICATION QUESTIONS James 1:22 says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” These questions are designed to help you apply today’s message to your life. We encourage you to thoughtfully answer these questions and discuss your answers with others. For more information about joining a Grow Group that uses these questions as the basis for weekly discussion, prayer, and accountability, please call the church office at (936) 582-1977. 1. Are you tempted to freak out and/or take matters into your hands when it seems like your life is being negatively impacted by the ungodly, unpredictable actions and decisions of others (e.g. president, congress, husband, parent, boss, teacher, etc.)? 2. Read Genesis 45:5-9 and 50:19-20. How is the story of Joseph similar to the story of Esther? 3. In your mind, what is most intriguing way God displayed His providence in Esther becoming the queen of Persia? 4. How do you process the moral ambiguity of the book of Esther? Why did God choose to use Esther and Mordecai to accomplish His purposes despite their apparent compromises? Can you relate to this in any way? 5. Read Hebrews 6:10. How should this verse encourage you especially when something you do or something you did goes unrecognized or unrewarded? 6. When you are in a difficult situation where you don’t know what God is up, what are some truths you do know about God that you can hold on to and that will help you through that situation? 7. Thank God that while you may not know what the future holds, you know who holds the future. Ask Him to forgive you for freaking out and/or taking matters into your own hands when facing a bad, hopeless situation. Ask Him to help you to more quickly and easily recognize, rest in, and rejoice over His sweet providence in your life. “The things that we know as Christian believers are greater than the things we do not know!” Derek Prime, Unspoken Lessons About The Unseen God, 55.

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