"Before a young woman's turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics (Esther 2:12, NIV).
A humble appearance and a pleasing disposition highlights Esther more than all the other women, and gains her favor with a representative from the King's Court to prepare her for a chance to meet the King. She is instantly provided cosmetics, her portion of food, and seven chosen young women to serve her every need. Esther gets an advancement to the best place in the harem because the Hand of the Lord was upon her life, and God wanted to use her vessel to serve His chosen people.
I am always amazed every time I read the story of Esther. She is a lowly girl, from an unsuspecting place, and without a well-know name to partner with her throughout the journey of her life. Think about it... She is not very well known in her community, and she has nothing--absolutely nothing to offer anyone.
And yet, she is taken from the place where many young women were gathered. She was transferred from the nurturing arms of her guardian into the favored position of the man that was responsible to keep the women until they were summoned by the King.
The women had to be prepared for twelve long months before the King had a chance to take one glance at any of them.
Esther is so pleasing to the King's servant that she "wins" his favor. This form of favor that can only be found in Esther has a sense of actively "gaining" rather than the more subdued "finding" grace, favor, or kindness in our Lord's sight. Many women strive and work diligently to be heard, seen, looked upon, provided for, and spoken for--but God's grace cannot be earned or purchased! Sometimes God may place people in our lives to serve as the conduit or the passageway by which we traverse to get to the place where He desires for us to be.
Many of us may find the idea of waiting to allow time for the Lord to prepare us for His blessings may consider the thought of patiently waiting on Him eluding. But, I want to encourage you today through this story to see how during some of the most uncertain times in our lives, God is yet preparing us so that we can present our best scent to the world and the atmosphere in which we live in.
Esther had twelve months...it was customary for the women to wait their turn to go in to see the king. It is beneficial for the assignment to have the time for preparation! Hallelujah! Six months of basic skin health care with oils to address those troublesome skin conditions such as cracks, wrinkles, sunburn, and dry skin which was followed by six months of spices, and fragrances to enhance and polish each girl's natural beauty. These treatments were designed to ensure that the beauty of the woman within could be seen and scented to anyone that came into her presence.
Our lives have a scent. Before meeting our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we each have picked up sun parched skin and dry lips, cracked hands and feet, muddled minds and wayward attitudes that hinder the beauty and the aroma of the Queens we are now for Christ.
But, we can wait on the Lord until He renews, revives, resuscitates, and rewards our faith during our time spent in His Presence. He can cleanse us, exfoliate us, and make us new, He will impart within us the sweet smelling aroma of His Son so that we enter rooms noticeably beautiful from the inside out, because His Scent will change the atmosphere.
A Godly Scent will always be the best Scent of a Woman...
---Felicia Ashley Alston
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