What epitaph would you have inscribed on the Apostle Paul’s tombstone? What words can suffice to sum up a life so wholly spent on bringing glory to Jesus Christ? He faced mocking and beating and shipwreck and snakebite and imprisonment and stoning and, somehow by the grace of God, survived them all! He never quit. Even during his final days while suffering in a prison cell, he kept His eyes fixed on Jesus—the Author and Finisher of his faith. I’ll bet that if Paul were to have written an epitaph for himself it would have gone something like this: “Through Christ I have won . . . and you can, as well!”
Scandals abound in a drama cast in the ancient Persian Empire. In the midst of political intrigue and betrayal, a beautiful orphan girl suddenly becomes the leading character, as God’s providence rescues His people from certain death. At first glance, Esther is the heroine and Mordecai the master manipulator. Take a closer look, however, and you’ll discover that behind the scenes, God is pulling the strings as His sovereign providence unfolds.