Dharius Daniels - I'm A Survivor

We’re going to look at Esther chapter 4, beginning at verse 12. I am so excited about this message today. It says this: when Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: «Do not think that because you are in the king’s house, you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?» Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: «Go, gather together all the Jews that are in Susa, and pray for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day; I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.» I want to talk about this subject in the first sermon of this series called «Heart Attack.» I want to talk about this subject: «Family, I’m a Survivor.»

Family, the book of Esther is one of the most unique books in all of the Bible, and this uniqueness is tied to a couple of anomalies. The first of which is this: Esther is the only book in the Bible, listen to me, where the name of God is not mentioned. That’s right; if you examine the entirety of the book of Esther, you will discover that God’s name is not written or mentioned once. However, there is a powerful principle that can be pulled from this part of the passage, and it’s simply this: just because God—watch this—just because God isn’t announced doesn’t mean God isn’t active. I’ll say that one more time: just because God isn’t announced doesn’t mean He isn’t active. It means that sometimes He acts without announcing Himself. So, just because you don’t see Him working doesn’t mean He’s not working, and just because you don’t see Him moving doesn’t mean He’s not moving. And just because you don’t see Him turning it around doesn’t mean He’s not turning it around. Because God is the God who will act and not even announce Himself.

See, sometimes God shows up looking like random. Did you hear what I just said? I said, sometimes God shows up looking like random. But those of us who have spiritual eyes to see, those who are operating with spiritual intelligence, know there’s no such thing as a coincidence, and there is no reality called random. Even though God’s name is not on the diploma, He did it; and even though God’s name is not on the building, He did it; and even though God’s name is not on the business, He did it. Because He’s the God who’s able to act without announcing anything. I came to tell somebody watching this today that even if you don’t feel like He’s announced Himself, He’s still acting, He’s still moving, and He’s still going to take what the enemy meant for evil and turn it around for our good. Don’t, don’t, don’t miss it! It’s the only book of the Bible where God’s name is not mentioned—that’s one anomaly. But it is also the only book of the Bible that is dedicated exclusively to the narrative of a woman.

All throughout Scripture, you see a high value placed on women. You see women like Deborah, Huldah, and Miriam in the Old Testament, and in the New Testament, there’s Phoebe and Priscilla, and you’ve got Philip’s daughters who prophesied, and then you have Mary, who walked with Jesus. You see a high value on women all throughout Scripture; however, there’s not a book dedicated exclusively to the narrative of a woman, but this one. In this regard, Esther can teach men and women something. She can teach us to refuse to be limited by our labels. She’s a barrier-breaking woman. She’s a woman—watch this—who teaches us that the simple fact that there is a book of the Bible dedicated exclusively to her teaches you and me one important lesson: just because it hasn’t been done before doesn’t mean it can’t be done.

It means that some of us have the call, the ability, and the anointing to be first. What’s that? It means that there are times when we are looking for someone else who has done it to determine whether or not we can do it, when what you don’t realize is that when you’re looking for that person, you’ve been called to be first—you are looking for you! Yes, there are some things you feel you’re supposed to do where there is no prototype, no blueprint, no architectural plans. You are the pattern and the prototype that God wants to use so that somebody else can look at your story and see it needs to be done.

I want to know, is there anybody watching, anyone receiving this word, who’s getting a revelation? Maybe that’s why I can’t find anybody that completely mirrors and models what I feel called to do; it’s because God is calling and creating you to be the mirror and the model for somebody else. This is a barrier-breaking woman, a glass-shattering woman, a woman who says, «Do not call me this or that; I am this and that,» a woman who declares, «If you didn’t create me, you can’t define me.» I feel the Holy Ghost! If you didn’t create me…