Finding Favor with the King
by Tommy Tenney
Published by Bethany House Publishers
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Reviewed by Patty Inglish, MS
The Bible story of Esther can be applied to modern life so directly that it can lead us into God's own heart. Such a close relationship with Him can fill the void that many stuff with food, alcohol, gambling, shopping, short-term relationships, intellect, and other addictions.
There is a specific path for approaching God, and it is only through preparation that we can walk it. Tommy Tenney presents Esther's story in a way that reaffirms my own determination to approach God. It includes the Twelve Protocols of the Palace at the end, summing up the 12 steps into God's heart.
After reading this story, I want to dig deeper into each step and miss nothing.
Finding Favor with the King is easy to read, but not a story of how to persuade God to "give me" something or "bless me" right now. It challenges me to put my heart out to touch the heart of the Creator. It is a wake-up call to seek the relationship we are meant to have with Christ as best friend and savior; talking with Him, instead of about Him.
Tenney compares himself as a father of children to God as a father with the relationship He wants with us. The human family mirrors God and His children, which is thought provoking, because many believe marriage to be state of being together for enjoyment, with no further purpose or meaning. However, Tenney reaffirms my belief that there are three in a Christian marriage, not two: Jesus, husband, and wife.
Tenney asks us to take the steps that Esther purposefully sought among the advisors of King Xerxes I. They are practical steps, but serious and require commitment. The peasant Esther became Queen. The least of us can become close enough to God to influence Him with prayer. Esther saved the Jewish race in one day after preparing for and acquiring spiritual intimacy with King Xerxes I.
What can we do, if we take the 12 steps into God the King's heart?
Armchair Interviews says: Anyone curious about Esther and her own 12 Steps will enjoy this book.