I started reading in Esther today and was reminded of this…
From John MacArthur…
Why isn’t God directly mentioned in Esther?
…When it comes to God, Esther seems strangely silent.
In fact, the silence is so obvious that it becomes an argument. Esther challenges the tendency to demand that God prove His power and presence. Must God be apparent? All too quickly we expect God to demonstrate in unmistakable ways His identity. Yet God has repeatedly resisted human ultimatums. God reveals Himself for His own purposes, not human requirements.
Throughout history, God has more readily operated behind the scenes than in plain sight. The Scriptures are filled with unusual circumstances in which God worked obviously. But Esther comes close to revealing God’s standard procedure. God’s fingerprints are all over Esther’s story. His superficial absence points to a deeper presence. God chose to be subtle, but He was there. The events in Esther give us a model for hope when God works in less than obvious ways in our lives.
Lord, thank You for resisting my ultimatums. Please grant me eyes to see Your less-than-obvious ways.
One thing I’m learning about God is his desire to work through his people…sometimes I think he’s completely ready to do a miracle and is waiting for a listening soul to carry out the task. I too often mistake miracles for just normal circumstance…and quickly give credit to to the Body for its generosity/kindness/obedience when the Head made the decision in the first place! He is everywhere…even when he doesn’t put a billboard telling us so! That’s the essence of faith.