After These Things

Esther 3:1

After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him.

Twice in the book of Esther, you see the phrase, after these things. In other words, something happened before these things that set up for another event after these things. The big mistake many make is never to look after these things to see what God was doing. In this case, each of these things was setting up for God to save His people from destruction. Though many did not see God working at the time, His providential hand was absolutely guiding the times so that He could show His mighty hand to save His people. There are several principles this little phrase teaches us.

First, both God and Satan are working at the same time. Just as much as God was working in these times, so Satan was also working. Satan was doing his work to destroy God's people by allowing an evil man to rise to power. However, God was also working by removing a good lady, who would not show her body off to lustful men, so that He could have Esther become the queen. God was not punishing Vashti, but He needed Esther to be the queen to take down the evil Haman. Just as much as God is working in your life, you can be guaranteed that Satan is also trying to work against you.

Second, we often see Satan working more than we see God working. Satan always works so that all can see it to get God's people to run in fear instead of living by faith. You will always see Satan working against you before you will ever see God working in the background of your life. You must not let what you see Satan doing against your life or ministry cause you to live a life of fear, resulting in you running from the life of faith.

Third, you don’t have to see God working for Him to be working. In the scriptures, we have seen God working in the background when others could not see it. The three Hebrew children could not see God working in the background to save them from the burning fiery furnace, but He was. Daniel could not see God working in the background to save him from the lion’s mouth, but He was. Joseph could not see God working in the background to set him up as second in power to save His people and Egypt from the famine to come, but He was. You may not see God working in the background, but you can always be assured that He is working, even though you can’t see it. This is where faith comes in; you must realize that God is working a great work in your life and ministry, even when you cannot see it.

Fourth, we must trust that God is working something great in our lives and ministries, even when we can’t see Him. I think of the church in the book of Acts that was scattered abroad because of persecution; it was hard for them to see God working, but He was. God scattered the church abroad so that they could turn the world upside down for Christ. My friend, when you can't see God working in your life, you must trust in His word that He is working. Philippians 1:6 reminds us, Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: God is working in your life; trust Him! If you will keep doing right even when you can't see God working, you will one day look back and see God’s providential hand was working in those times of life to bring to pass this day the blessings that He has for you. Trust God, He will never fail to work His work in your life.