Friday, April 21, 2017

When the Best is Better than the Perfect

“The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honour.” (Es 8:16 AV)

Sometimes we want what we think is the perfect answer to our problems in order to have encouragement and hope.  All we really need is an answer.  Haman, second to Ahasuerus – King of the Medes and Persians, has tricked the king into allowing the enemies of Israel to destroy them.  Esther, being a Jew herself and queen to Ahasuerus, requested the king reverse the decree which hired out armed men to kill the Hebrews.  Under Medo-Persian law, once a law was written and sealed, under no circumstance could it be reversed.  The best answer was for the law to be reversed.  But it could not be.  So, the next best thing was to allow the Jewish nation to defend themselves.  The date of the violence was already set.  Haman had been hanged on his own gallows and Mordecai, Esther’s uncle, was not next to the king.  It wasn’t the absolute perfect solution; for no doubt, some Jews would lose their lives in the fighting; but it was the best given the circumstances.

Sometimes, what we need for hope and gladness is not the perfect solution.  The best will do just fine.  Whether it’s a cure verses treatment, a lower paying position verses no position at all, or an imperfect spouse who is the best thing that ever happened to us, we should be grateful for God’s provision for us.  Perfect is for heaven.  The best is for here!


One thing was for sure.  One day, the Jews were looking at complete extermination.  The next they had a fighting chance.  Maybe that is all we really need!  Maybe all we need is a fighting chance.  The world brainwashes us into thinking that life can be perfect.  The perfect spouse, the perfect job, the perfect house, perfect health.  But trouble is allowed by God that we might spiritual grow by it.  The best is God’s way of building faith and character.  If we had what was perfect, all the time, we would never change!  So, let’s pray and thank God for the best!  And, wait on the perfect!

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