As Passover begins today, Israeli Jewish mother D’vora M.B reflects on faith, fear, and God’s faithfulness in the midst of war. Drawing on the story of Esther, she shares a deeply personal account of motherhood, courage, and trusting God for such a time as this.
Just before the war in Israel began, my family and I were preparing to celebrate Purim, the Feast of Esther. I had been reading her story and sharing it with my children. I found myself deeply moved by Esther’s courage. She risked her life out of love for her people. I imagine she must have been afraid, for herself, her family, and her nation, yet she did not let fear have the final word. She chose to trust God.
Mordecai’s words stayed with me: “And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14) It struck me that everything Esther had walked through had prepared her for that moment. Not long after, war broke out.
READ MORE: The current conflict in Israel is every Christian’s business
I will never forget my seven-year-old daughter’s face the first time she heard the siren.
I will never forget my seven-year-old daughter’s face the first time she heard the siren. Fear, recognition, instinct. She has known these sounds since she was four. Since October 2023, sirens and bomb shelters have become part of her childhood. Now even my three-year-old son knows what to do. And yet, in the midst of this, I have also witnessed something remarkable: their faith.
My daughter prays in the car that we will not be caught without shelter, and when we arrive safely, she thanks God with simple, unwavering trust. My son, as sirens sound and our apartment trembles, sings, “The Keeper of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps.”
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In the middle of fear, God is forming faith.
These moments are small, but to me they are sacred. In the middle of fear, God is forming faith. Before the war, I had begun volunteering with a search and rescue unit. At the time, it felt like a small act of service alongside motherhood and ministry. I did not realise God was preparing me. After October 2023, everything changed. Being called up while raising young children has been one of the hardest tensions I have faced. Leaving them, not knowing what the day might hold, is never easy.
But each time I go, they remind me: “God is our hiding place. When we are afraid, we trust in Him.”
And when I return, we thank God together. Now, in this current season, the challenge feels even greater. I am nine months pregnant, with a high-risk pregnancy, and due any day. Balancing motherhood, ministry, and volunteering in wartime has stretched me in ways I never expected. And yet, I come back to Esther. Like her, I believe God prepares us, over time, for moments we cannot yet see. Moments where we are called to stand, to serve, to trust.
READ MORE: God has a heart for the people of Israel and Palestine… so we should too
This is not just my story. It is true for all of us. Whatever your circumstances, whether in your family, your workplace, or a season of uncertainty, God can use you. You are not overlooked. You are not unprepared. He is able to work through your life in ways you may not yet understand.
As we start Passover (1-9th April) we are reminded again of God’s faithfulness in times of great fear. From Esther to Moses, from generation to generation, He has remained present and faithful. And He is still the same today. My prayer is that we would trust Him, not only in peace, but in the unknown. That we would be willing to be used, wherever He has placed us. Even here. Even now. For such a time as this.
“The Keeper of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps.” (Psalm 121:4)
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