“In the fortress of Susa, there was a Jewish man named Mordecai son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite. He had been taken into exile from Jerusalem with the other captives when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took King Jeconiah of Judah into exile. Mordecai was the legal guardian of his cousin Hadassah (that is, Esther), because she had no father or mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was extremely good-looking. When her father and mother died, Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter.”
Today there are 153 million orphans around the world. One hundred fifty three million children without moms to wipe their tears, dads to read them stories, or families that love and serve Jesus to raise them. We live in a world where there are nearly 66 million refugees, one third of which are under the age of 18. These are people who have had to leave their homes due to war, famine, or persecution. These people didn’t ask or even desire to leave. They were forced from their homes, fleeing for their lives – many leaving jobs, possessions and loved ones behind.
In the harshest of conditions, in a place far from home, Esther found that she was not abandoned. Adopted by her cousin Mordecai, she was cared for as though she were his own daughter. Mordecai was active in raising Esther, providing her the necessities that most parents provide for their children.
While we may not be able to identify with Esther’s circumstances, each of us, in some way, have felt cared for as well as felt abandoned. This may come from family, friends, church members, teachers, social media, or total strangers. Our people have a keen way of caring for us and also for letting us down. And, in the same way, us for our people.
Yet, no matter how often we feel cared for or abandoned, we must know that Christ has placed his seal on our adoption papers. “But to all who believe Him and accept Him, He gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12) Because it was God Himself who decided before the foundation of the world that He would adopt us into His family through Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 1:4-5) This adoption had absolutely nothing to do with being good enough, pretty enough…there is no earning this adoption. It is simply found in our genuine crying out, in faith, when we recognize our need for Christ as our Savior. This adoption cannot be revoked. He does not leave us. We are loved because we are His creation.
Much like Esther was chosen by Mordecai, we are chosen by God because of whose we are. Esther was family to Mordecai. She was loved as one of his own. We are God’s creation, made fearfully and wonderfully from the very beginning to live in relationship with Him. He did not abandon His creation because of sin. Instead, He adopted them because they were from His own hands.
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