ON THE VANGUARD

TAANIT ESTHER
"Esther had them return this answer to Mordekhai: 'Go, assemble all the Jews to be found in Shushan, and have them fast for me, neither eating nor drinking for three days, night and day; also I and the girls attending me will fast the same way. Then I will go in to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.'"
Esther 4:15-16 CJB

Today marks the beginning of one of God's special appointed times; a time of miracles in your life and of destruction against the enemy's plans. This is a season when the plot that the adversary has made against you will suddenly be turned around by God, and a time to usher in favor, blessing, and sudden freedom. The miracle that you need, that even now you are seeking God for, can in an instant be given. For Esther, it was. And as God has no favorites, the miracle He brought for her and the Jewish people, He can bring for you also. The time I am speaking of is Purim. Growing up I knew the basic story of Esther. In reading the detail of her beauty I found myself enchanted with her. But as I have grown more in the faith and researched more about who she was, I have found myself even more so both attracted to her and inspired by her risk. However, before we dive fully into the account of Esther and Purim, let us focus our attention today on fasting.
Although Purim is noted officially on the calendar this year as March 20, the Jewish calendar marks today as the day of fasting in remembrance of Esther. When a Jewish holiday that includes fasting lands on a Sunday, the fast is then moved to the Thursday prior. As that is the case this year, today then starts the fast of Esther, also known as Tannit Esther.
Fasting is a word that many struggle with. I will admit that I have feared it in the past. I am one who enjoys food, whether it be cooking or baking my own, eating out at a restaurant, or just rummaging through the cupboards for a snack. The idea of giving up the chance to eat when there are so many good foods to eat just doesn't sit right. Yet, it is a spiritual discipline. How can not eating be a spiritual discipline. I mean, taking away my food is punishment enough, but how does it glorify God? Perhaps the answer that I come to learn is based on a couple verses. First, we are told in the Ten Commandments to put nothing before God (Ex 20:3). For me, food can very easily become a god and I can easily spend more time in the kitchen than in God's presence. Secondly, if Jesus is the Bread of Life (Jn 6:35), then the real question becomes am I eating my fill of Him. I know I am eating my fill of physical food because the scale tells me so. But am I eating my fill of what really matters? Of what I should be eating freely?
A time of fasting is a time of putting aside the things that have stolen our devotion from God so that purposefully we can seek God. It is easy for us to get wrapped up in other things that we put God on the back burner and forget about Him. Fasting helps us to not, for in the moments when we would be eating, we can then take that time and apply it to time with God. It is in these moments, these minutes or hours that we would be preparing food, eating food, and then cleaning up the dishes, that these duties cease to exists and give us the freedom to be with God.
We see this devotion in this scripture. Esther was approached by a messenger sent by her uncle requesting that she go before the king and beg him to change his decree against the Jews. Her response was that she would indeed go un-beckoned before the king and risk death for this action. But, she did not go unprepared. She called a fast of all the Jews. For three days and nights, all together, they swapped food and drink for prayers of salvation. The odds were stacked against them; death to all Jews was days away. Yet, the Jewish people made a point to petition God instead of cure their cravings. Life was more important than a sandwich, chips, and a diet coke. And life, life in Christ, should be more important to us as well.
What has been stealing life from you? For Esther and the Jews it was a decree of death that Haman had every intention of carrying out. Believe it or not, there is a Haman out for you, and he already has the approval to take you out. John 10:10 tells us that the thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. But Christ has come to give you life. I encourage you, take a moment, take a meal, take all day or even three, to put aside your physical appetite and feed your soul. And then watch as salvation comes, as favor comes, as blessings come suddenly to you.