Day after day they spoke to him but he refused to comply. (Est. 3:4)
Expanded Passage: Esther 3:3-4
I remember hearing the story of a woman who was working in a quarry when she found a small flake of gold on one of the stones she touched. She took it over to a trough with a water pump and began to scrub. As more and more gold flakes emerged, she continued to scrub with more and more enthusiasm, until her scrubbing was so quick that her ring fell off. It was then that she realized the rock didn’t contain any gold; the only gold was the stuff she’d scrubbed off her ring. In her pursuit of the gold she wanted, she destroyed the gold she had.
No matter how durable, solid, and precious our commitment to God is, sometimes the allure of something else (even good things) becomes the primary pursuit of our lives. In our pursuit of something else that looks valuable, we discard the valuable thing we already committed to.
Mordecai is in a situation like this: His influence in the government is a precious thing to him, no doubt. It’s worth his livelihood, and even his life is at risk if he doesn’t accept this decree. And yet, Mordecai decides not to bow.
Rocks and rings don’t erode in a day; neither does character. They all erode gradually. Staying faithful requires small, daily acts of refocusing on the invitation of God.
Defend against erosion with prayer.
Ethan Linder is the pastor of discipleship at College Wesleyan Church (IN) and contributing editor for Education and Clergy Development of The Wesleyan Church.
© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
