One of the wonderful things we see in the book of Esther is the way God worked in sovereign power on behalf of His people.

One night the king could not sleep (Esther 6:1). Why was it that the king could not sleep? Because God kept him awake. When people plotting against us, God works on our behalf to protect us from these people who are plotting against us. Mordecai was fast asleep and did not know that a 75-foot gallows was being made that night to hang him the next morning.

Because the king could not get any sleep, he asked that the history books of the empire be read to him. Perhaps he thought he would go to sleep as the history books were being read!! So the history books were read - and he still could not get any sleep. God made sure of that. They went on reading the books to the king right through the night. At about 6 o'clock in the morning, they came to the story of how Mordecai had saved the king's life. When the king heard that, he said, "What did we do for Mordecai for saving my life?" (Esther 6:3). They said, "Nothing has been done." So the king planned to honour Mordecai

At that very moment - you see the amazing timing of God here - Haman came to the king's palace to get permission from the king to hang Mordecai. Before Haman could speak, the king told him, "I want to honour somebody. How do you think I should do it?" Haman, conceited man that he was, immediately thought that the king must be thinking of him. So he said, "Let him ride on the king's horse and let a prince lead him down the street and say, 'This is how the king will honour anyone who is faithful.' " The king said, "Go and do that for Mordecai straightaway"(Esther 6:10). I would have loved to have seen Haman's face at this time!

It is wonderful to see how God turns the tables on Satan. But this was only the beginning of Haman's humilation. When Haman went to Esther's banquet that night, Esther exposed Haman's plan to the king. Haman fell down before Esther and begged for mercy. He who had wanted the Jews to kneel before him now kneels down before a Jew. The Lord said to one of His faithful churches, "I will make them to come and bow down at your feet and to know that I have loved you" (Rev.3:9).

Because Haman had boasted to many about the gallows he had made for Mordecai, others knew about it. Therefore they suggested to the king that Haman himself be hanged on it. How good it would have been if he had kept quiet about it. He who had wanted to humiliate Mordecai before the nation is now humiliated himself. "He who digs a pit for others will fall into it himself" (Prov.26:27). "The righteous is delivered from trouble and the wicked takes his place" (Prov.11:8).

In Chapter 8, we read how Mordecai was promoted and given Haman's job. In Chapter 9, the Jews destroy their enemies. Mordecai became like Joseph and Daniel, an advisor to the greatest king on earth of his time. God was good to these Jews, even though they stayed back in Persia.

All of this is written for our instruction to teach us that nobody can harm us in any way, until God's time comes. Twice it is written about Jesus, "They could not arrest Him because His time had not yet come." (Jn.7:30; 8:20). They could not chop off Paul's head until God's time for him on earth was over, because God works on behalf of His servants to protect them.

If God worked on behalf of these people who were compromisers, who were seeking their own in Persia, how much more He will do for us today who want to live for Him totally. That is the great encouragement that comes to us from the book of Esther. When we are asleep God works on our behalf to protect us from evil men who may seek to destroy us.

If we have that faith, we can go out and serve God in any situation, however difficult. If the devil can put fear into our hearts and make us act on that fear, then we will never be able to serve God. Remember that when we act in fear, we are glorifying the devil and proclaiming that the devil is almighty and that God cannot protect us. There are many believers who live with that type of fear. But one who has faith in God will say, "God is almighty. Everything in Scripture shows me that God works on behalf of His people. He is watching over us all the time. The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to work on our behalf. The Lord who watches over me will never slumber or sleep. He is the One who protects me."

We need never have any fear, even if multitudes of people scheme against us. When we serve the Lord, Satan will get many people to try and harm us. I have had many experiences where evil people schemed and planned things to hurt me and trap me. But things didn't work out the way they anticipated, because there was a God in heaven Who was observing their evil schemes. He frustrated their plans, turned the tables on them and made fools of them and of the devil whom they served. What did I have to do? Just trust in God - and sleep like Mordecai did!

This is the God we worship and serve. The Jews were triumphant there in the book of Esther and the enemy was defeated. It will be like that in our lives too.