* Your greatest blessings only come on the other side of your greatest fear.

* When you face your fear, God takes over the fight.

* But you’ll never face your fear if you haven’t first let go of what you hold in your hand.

* This is where Esther comes in - she was queen and had an opportunity to stand for what was right.

* But it could cost her her life.

* The evil plot of Haman - to kill the Jews - was in now the law.

* She needed to stand, but she was scared.

* Vs 10-11 - she hadn’t been called by the king in a month.

* I think it more more than just the fear of death she feared - it was the fear of rejection.

* Being approved by the king was her entire reason for getting to her position of power, influence, and authority.

* It was her fear of being rejected by the man who once gave her approval.

* This could’ve become an insecurity in her if she let it.

* The desire for approval is one of our core desires.

* The key is to find approval in God and not in others.

* But she overcame! How?

* Vs 12-14 - Mordecai reminded her of who she was and who she served.

* He got her to THINK ASSIGNMENT OVER APPROVAL!

* Then she was willing to die to what she wanted (approval).

* In her heart, she let go of her position and even her life to do what was right.

* She focused on the approval of God rather than that of the king.

* And it set her free.

* To help her stand strong, she did three things:

* 1) She rallied the troops (vs 15a) - get your closest friends involved.

* 2) She fasted & prayed (vs 15b) - she denied herself in the physical in order to gain something in the spiritual.

* Fasting is how you learn to suffer with grace - it teaches you how to live with a faith that costs you something.

* 3) She made her approach (vs 5:1-2) - she knew what would attract the king.

* She did her best to gain his approval, but left the results to God.

* It’s time to stand strong today, and Esther shows us how to overcome our fear and our deepest insecurities!