Rend Your Heart

Courage to Return to God

When we think about courage in the Bible, Queen Esther often comes to mind. Her story in Chapter 4 of the Book of Esther is a powerful reminder that faith doesn’t always feel fearless—and that sometimes, God uses crisis to call His people back to Him.

Last week in our Bible study, we talked about where we could see faith at work in this chapter. This week, we’re taking a closer look at

what happens when trouble drives us not just to action—but to our knees.

A Quick Recap of Esther 4

Esther 4 opens with heartbreak. Mordecai, a faithful Jew and cousin of Queen Esther, has just learned of a royal decree: all the Jews in the Persian Empire are to be annihilated. He responds with public mourning, putting on sackcloth and ashes.

Esther hears of Mordecai’s grief and is deeply troubled. She sends fresh clothes, hoping he’ll pull himself together, but Mordecai refuses. Through a trusted messenger, he tells Esther about Haman’s plan and pleads with her to go before the king and intercede for her people.

Esther is afraid. The law is clear—no one approaches the king uninvited. To do so could mean death. But Mordecai responds with bold faith and a challenge:

“If you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place... And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)

Those words stir something in Esther. She agrees to go—but not before asking Mordecai to gather all the Jews in Susa to fast and pray with her for three days. She ends her message with this declaration:

“If I perish, I perish.”

When Crisis Brings Us Back to God

It’s easy to focus on Esther’s courage here, and rightly so. But we don’t want to miss what’s happening with Mordecai and the wider Jewish community. This moment of crisis drives them to seek God—not just with torn clothes, but with torn hearts.

This echoes a powerful passage from the prophet Joel:

“Yet even now,” declares the Lord,“return to me with all your heart,with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;and rend your hearts and not your garments.”Return to the Lord your God,for he is gracious and merciful,slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love...” (Joel 2:12–13)

Haman’s evil intent stirred fear. But God used it to stir repentance. Mordecai may not have been thinking about spiritual revival when he put on sackcloth—but that’s exactly what happened. The people turned their hearts back to God.

What About Us?

We don’t face royal decrees or palace intrigue. But we do face fear. Uncertainty. Loss. And sometimes, the very things that shake us are what finally bring us back to God.

Here are a few questions worth sitting with this week:

• What role does prayer play in your life when things go wrong?

• Has there been a time when a hard situation brought you closer to God?

• Are you more like Esther—reluctant, but willing—or like Mordecai, urging others to step out in faith?

• What might it mean for you to live “for such a time as this”?

A Simple Challenge

This week, try fasting from something that distracts you—maybe a meal, maybe your phone, maybe even just noise. Use that space to pray, listen, and seek God’s direction in your own story.

Ask Him: Where are you calling me to be faithful, even when it’s hard?

A Closing Prayer

Lord, when life feels uncertain, help us remember that You are not. Teach us to return to You—not just with actions, but with our hearts. Give us courage to act, humility to pray, and faith to follow wherever You lead us. Amen.