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I think it is fair to say that I am slightly obsessed with words. Language is a beautiful thing. My heart is totally intrigued by the fact that stories are universal, and whether they’re told through songs, books, poetry, or a conversation with your best friend, words are always the tools used to express a myriad of emotions, ideas, and self-expression.

Words are used in many different ways. Tragically they can be used as rocks, knives, and weapons of mass destruction. Lies that poison the mind and kill the spirit, fly at us like arrows. So many magazines, movies, and media outlets use their words to deceive and discourage. Just ask the girl who stares at herself in the mirror and hates what she sees. Who told her that she wasn't beautiful?

Talk to the broken heart. The girl who cries every day after school, cuts her wrists, and wishes to end her life because the tormenting words of death just won't stop. Who told her that she was unworthy and unloved?

But words don't only have the power to bring death. They also have the power to bring LIFE.

Words can shape an entire generation; their culture, beliefs and patterns of thinking. It's funny how everyone thinks something is "normal" until one lone voice stands apart from the crowd and shows them what Heaven's idea of "normal" is.

God's standards are good, perfect, and pure. He desires such great and glorious things for His children. He wants us to be free. Free from the lies. Free from the poison-candy-coated apples of deception that our culture is trying to invite us to bite into.

If you take a peek through the pages of history, you can see how minds have always been molded and changed through words and ideas. For example, child labor used to be "normal." The fact that kids were working in terrible factory conditions was not a big deal. Slavery used to be "normal." Racism used to be "normal". Throughout history the American people have gone along with some heartbreaking ideas, but because of deception, nobody knew that things could be any different. Or that they should be any different. But the heartbeat of Heaven demanded that they had to be different. Our culture didn't know how God felt about these subjects, therefore nothing changed until one voice decided to rise up and abolish the "norm." Throughout history, many individuals have chosen to live from Heaven's perspective and set a new standard of "normal." Today, our culture’s idea of “normal” is an absolute nightmare.

School shootings, bullies, suicides, gang activity, eating disorders, self-harm, abuse, broken marriages, dysfunctional relationships, human trafficking, the orphan crisis, world hunger, and so many other heartbreaking issues have become “normal”. In many ways, we've become numb to the condition of our culture. We've lost hope for any true change, revival, or revolution.

The scene which is breaking out on the world stage today, reminds me so much of the book of Esther. Esther was no stranger to heartbreak. She was well acquainted with darkness, discouragement, and fear. She lived in a time when not only was her own life in jeopardy, but her entire nation had been threatened with the promise of sure destruction. A crazy conspiracy to completely annihilate ALL of the Jewish people, was launched like a rocket determined to decimate its target.

When the Jewish people learned of this plot, they were absolutely wrecked to the core. They were terrified, and had no hope for themselves, their children, or their grandchildren. Yet Esther, an orphan girl chosen to be Queen, saw God's hand on her life, and knew that He was beautifully weaving together and orchestrating every detail of her story, until the moment arrived to do what she was created to do. Stand up. Speak out. And fight for freedom for those who had no voice.

Esther had the power, favor, and calling on her life, to be in the perfect position to do something about the hopeless, impossible condition of her generation. Sister, does this sound familiar? It should, because this is our story! This is your story. This is the moment we are living in, right now! I like to call it a "kairos" moment. (Kairos is a Greek word, meaning a time of favor with a good chance of success, a moment for action or decision, literally meaning "opportunity.") A "for such a time as this" moment.

What I find so totally fascinating about Esther's story, is how she and Mordici partnered with God and the pagan King Ahauerus, to change the outcome of this massacre. Haman, the evil mastermind behind this plot, had an exact date set on the calendar on which the Jews would be attacked. When Esther asked the King about changing this law and royal proclamation that went out, the King said that he could not change it. So they had to create a new law which would override the original decree. At first glance, this new law didn't look like it was really going to change much. All it did was give the Jews permission to defend themselves. What was so significant about that? But this was a royal decree issued from the courts of Heaven! God breathed on this piece of paper, and it gave them the courage, inspiration, and encouragement to fight back on their so called "day of doom".

Esther and Mordici got out their royal stationary and encouraged God's people to fight. Their message was so simple, but I believe that it spoke volumes to the hearts of God's children. The words rang deep in their spirits. They could hear the unspoken battle cry behind this simple piece of paper. "Pick up your swords.” Something inside of them spoke to their hearts, “Don't let the enemy destroy you and your children. Remember who you are. Remember Who you belong to! Remember Who is fighting with you and for you. Don't give up yet! It's not over! Stay strong, have courage, be of good cheer. God's got this. We are His! All you have to do is stand strong, believe, press on, and don't you dare back down."

Esther 8:10-11 says:

"And he wrote in the name of King Ahasures, sealed it with the king's signet ring, and sent letters by couriers on horseback, riding on royal horses bred from swift steeds. A copy of the document was to be issued as a decree in every province and published for all people, so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies. The couriers who rode on royal horses went out, hastened and pressed on by the king's command..."

There was such a sense of urgency to get this royal letter out to the world. This news needed to travel quickly. There was a lot of land to be covered, and very little time to do it. King Ahasuerus' dominion was huge. The letter had to spread all the way from India to Ethiopia, and be published in one hundred and twenty seven provinces, which included many different languages! {See Esther 8:10.} The letter was sent out on swift horses. These horses were sons of the fastest steeds in the kingdom! I love the fact that royal horses were used for this task. I can only imagine how regal they must have looked, pounding forward like thunder shaking the earth, with their hooves kicking up whirlwinds of dirt, flying wildly behind them. Nobody could stop them. They were on a mission. They hastened, and pressed on. Everyone had to hear this new decree, before it was too late. They HAD to let God’s people know that things had changed. If they could share the good news quickly enough, there was no way that the enemy could win! 

The letter wasn't complicated. Esther and Mordici simply published the perspective of Heaven. They told the world what God's perspective was on the matter. And that literally changed everything. Knowing what God thinks and says about the time in which we live, is so, so vitally important! If we don't know the truth, we will be prisoners of the lies. When we look into the mirror, we will believe that we're ugly. When a voice says, "There's no way you can do this, this is impossible, you're such a failure, just give up," we will be tempted to believe it. When tragic things happen all around us, we will be tempted to put on our "sackcloth and ashes" and believe that nothing is ever going to get better. When the enemy shows up on our doorstep, pounding and clawing to get inside with such intensity, if we don't know Whose we are, what God says about us, and the fact that He told us to fight back, then we will be so tempted to give in.

Sister, this is NOT time to give up! I know it can be discouraging when we look at the culture and see how messed up everything is. You might feel like you're the only girl in your school who is choosing faith, purity, and love; making hard choices day after day. Your family life, school life, and personal life might be incredibly challenging, and you feel constantly attacked. But things can change. You can be that change. You can be the one voice who starts a revolution. The girl who stands up and says, "This is what the world says about what's going on, but I'm not going to believe it. I'm going to rise above it and get God's perspective on the matter! I'm going to believe His royal decree, the word that has been delivered to me by His swift horses. I'm going to believe His beautiful words. His Word is true, and that's the standard I'm clinging to!"

You might feel like you're the only one. The only voice standing up for righteousness, and justice. Esther felt the same way. She had to go before the king all by herself, and totally risk her life on behalf of a bigger purpose. But even if all of your friends betray you, your family thinks you're crazy, and you're standing up for a cause that seems so impossible...speak anyway. Be that one voice.

Ideas spread like wildfire. Words spread like a pebble on the water. One little splash causes a huge ripple effect. Every rainstorm begins with one drop. Every earth-shaking, ground-breaking revolution has a small beginning. Don't be discouraged. People who stand up for love, combat the lies, and dare to publish the truth, can totally shape this culture. We can deliver the beautiful truth to this world if we ride out on swift horses and press on in love!

Just like Esther did, we have a lot of land to cover. There are so many broken, terrified souls who need a paradigm shift. They need to see from Heaven's perspective! But we are living in a unique time in history, where one idea can be shared with hundreds, and even thousands, through a simple Tweet! Through a blog post. Through a YouTube video. We can share this message through music, movies, media, and even with our friends at slumber parties! We don't need to send out hand-written letters (although getting something in the mail is always super classy and sweet!) and send them out on horseback. We've each been given a unique sphere of influence that we can use to share our message!

There are many areas of our culture that need to be influenced with the truth. So whether you are a writer, a storyteller, an artist, an actress, a teacher, a doctor, a mother, a missionary, or a social media guru, take advantage of the unique voice you've been given. Be a good steward and use your gifts for God's glory! We have many nations, languages, cultures, systems, and areas of this world to touch. The whole globe is spread out before us! The time in which Esther lived was so vital, but we have to realize that today we have an even bigger job than Esther did! Which means this is going to take all of us, a whole generation of Esther’s, all uniting for the same purpose:

To ride forward on behalf of truth, like a letter of love, sealed with the King's signet ring. A published, open-faced story of freedom and victory, just bursting with lovely words of life and love for everyone to read.

Sister, we are the swift horses. We are the beautiful words. We are the spark of change. We are the revolution. We are the counter culture.

read more devotionals like this  in secrets of royalty!