Out of the depths I call to you, LORD! —Psalm 130:1
In Esther 4:1–2, we see Mordecai grieving over the king’s edict in a way that may seem extreme to us: he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and cried loudly. Mordecai had nothing to lose. There was nowhere left for him to turn but to God, so he didn’t hold back.
Mordecai wasn’t the only one upset about this edict. Throughout the land, the Jews were mourning their impending doom: “They fasted, wept, and lamented, and many lay in sackcloth and ashes” (Est. 4:3). God was using the threat of persecution to revive their hearts and to help them see the wickedness of the culture around them.
When was the last time you mourned, wept, and fasted—either over your own sin or the brokenness in our world? When things are going fine, we’re not as likely to cry out to God as when we end up in a desperate situation. God uses crises to make us aware of our need and to make us desperate for Him.
Make it Personal
What would it look like for you to dress in humility, contrition, brokenness, and mourning over your sin?