When no hope is in sight

Few countries in ancient civilizations kept records of heroines, female heroes. Even if they did, these heroines never attained national status. Thanks to Walt Disney, western people now know that the Chinese has a heroine, Mulan who went to battle in her father's stead. However, the story cannot get rid of a romantic agenda. Mulan fell in love and got married. She was denied a national status. After all, the final destiny of a Chinese girl was to raise up children for her husband at home.
Jewish girls had a better luck. Stories of national heroines found their way even into the Bible. Judith, a beautiful widow, beheaded Holofernes, the chief general of the army of Nebuchadnezzar king of the Assyrians, saving her people. We know that Nebuchadnezzar was a Babylonian king, not Assyrian. Such a literary device serves the purpose of protecting the author from being persecuted by the ruling Gentiles. The story cheers the hearts of generations of oppressed people, keeping their faith in a God who will deliver them from the fate of extermination. The book of Judith, which was written in Greek, is excluded from the Protestant bibles.
Esther is a different story. It was written in Hebrew and occupies a place even in the Protestant bibles. Esther was raised up by her uncle Mordecai who was brought into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar the Babylonian king! Her story took place when King Ahasuerus was offended by his queen Vashti. Esther, a Jewish girl, was made queen because she found favour in the king's eyes. As the story unfolded, the Jews were in danger of extermination under the hand of Haman. With the help of God, Esther turned the table and had Haman hanged instead. Once again, through a girl, God saved His people in a foreign land.
Today, we read the prayer of Esther, which is found in Greek additions to the Hebrew text. Esther was in great fear because of the impending evil plan of Haman. She had nobody to turn to, except God.
Lord, thou only art our King; help me, who am alone and have no helper but thee (Esther Addition14:3)
For anyone put into dreadful situations, God is always there to help those who put their trust in Him. Esther knew her situation. Her people were subject to the hands of their enemies because they had rebelled against God and worshipped idols.
And now we have sinned before thee, and thou hast given us into the hands of our enemies,
because we glorified their gods. Thou art righteous, O Lord! (Esther Addition 14:6-7)
We need to recognize and admit our own faults before God takes any saving action. This is a crucial step. Without this, God's action will have no saving effects on us. After our deliverance, we will forget God and repeat the same mistakes all over again.
Esther saw the consequence which was bad not just for her people but also bad for God as well.
And now they are not satisfied that we are in bitter slavery, but they have covenanted with their idols
to abolish what thy mouth has ordained and to destroy thy inheritance, to stop the mouths of those who praise thee and to quench thy altar and the glory of thy house,
to open the mouths of the nations for the praise of vain idols, and to magnify for ever a mortal king (Esther Addition 14:8-10).
This reminds us of Jesus' advice.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well (Matthew 6:33).
Truly, if we suffer, better suffer for righteousness.
For it is better to suffer for doing right, if that should be God's will, than for doing wrong (1 Peter 3:17).
No. Esther was more proactive. She did not just want to save her own life. She wanted to save the inheritance of God, the Jewish people.
O Lord, do not surrender thy scepter to what has no being; and do not let them mock at our downfall; but turn their plan against themselves, and make an example of the man who began this against us.
Remember, O Lord; make thyself known in this time of our affliction, and give me courage, O King of the gods and Master of all dominion! (Esther Addition 14:11-12)
O God, whose might is over all, hear the voice of the despairing, and save us from the hands of evildoers. And save me from my fear! (Esther Addition 14:19)
Fear is incapacitating. It reduces us into inaction, into a sitting duck to be shot. We need to overcome the fear in our hearts. God is our only cure.

Dear Lord, I pray for those who are living in fear. You are our hope. Reduce our fear into driving force to fight against the injustice surrounding us. Amen.