Each year in sports, the NFL presents “The Greatest Show on Turf” with high stakes. The winner is forever remembered by fans and might even become the stuff of fairy tales. During the 1999-2000 season, the St. Louis Rams’ Super Bowl victory was the biggest upset in history. The odds were (300-1) when the Rams signed a free agent who suffered a season-ending injury. That opened the door for Kurt Warner to leave his job as a grocery clerk and lead the Rams to a 13-3 regular season and win Super Bowl XXXIV. Warner threw the touchdown pass that earned him the MVP. “The Lord prepared me for this over a long period—in lower-profile locker rooms and the grocery store and Europe, through all the personal tragedies and despite the people who doubted me along the way,” Warner explained.

Esther 5-7 – Courageous Intervention

While the stakes were high and the risks great for Kurt Warner and the Rams, they were even greater for Esther. She could be put to death for even entering into the king’s presence without an invitation. Even so, she was determined to intervene for her people and save them from being killed. Esther prepared herself by fasting and prayer, and her people joined her.

Haman’s scheme to be honored by Mordecai was turned around on him. Esther revealed him as the man responsible for the plotting against not only her life but all the Jewish people. Esther had reduced her risks by studying her opponent to liberate the Jews from the genocidal edict devised by Haman. God used diligent prayer and study in Esther’s life to save His people. Still, her story reminds us that God is sovereign and controls all the details of our lives even when the odds seem stacked against us. 

The Kingdom Coach and Athlete prepare themselves for competition through diligent study and prayer while leaving the results to God.

Bible Memory Verse – “Then Mordecai said for them to respond to Esther, ‘Do not imagine that you in the king’s house can escape any more than all the Jews. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not reached royalty for such a time as this?’” Esther 4:13-14 (LSB)