Life Lessons from Daniel and Esther: Faith Under Pressure

by Max Lucado

Staying faithful when the pressure was most intense. That’s what these two did.

The Jewish people had reason to be depressed. Their nation had been conquered. Their hometown was in ruins. They were living in captivity. Yet from the ashes, God raised up two key figures to preserve the Jewish race.

Daniel was among the first of the captives carried away by the Babylonians. Although he lived in a culture opposed to God, he was always faithful to the Lord – even in the face of death – and ultimately was able to influence kings and rulers. Esther was in exile during the time of the Persian Empire. Like Daniel, the Lord also placed her in a position to influence those in power. God also called her to step out in faith and risk her life to foil a plot against her people. As a result of her bold actions, the entire Jewish race was saved from annihilation.

As you read, study, journal, and discuss the books of Daniel and Esther, watch for these key themes that Max will unpack throughout the

God leads in our lives even in difficult circumstances.Sometimes faithfulness is rewarded by miracles.God will be faithful to his people in the future as he has in the past.The Life Lessons with Max Lucado series brings the Bible to life in twelve lessons filled with intriguing questions, inspirational stories, and poignant reflections to take you deeper into God's Word. Each lesson

An opening reflection on the Bible book you’re studying.Background information to deepen your understanding of the cultural and historical setting.An excerpt of the text (from the NIV and the NKJV).Exploration questions with plenty of room to write your own thoughts and notes.Inspirational thoughts from Max as well as a closing takeaway for further reflection.The Life Lessons series is ideal for use in both a small-group setting or for individual study.

143 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 2, 2019

About the author

With more than 150 million products in print and several NYT bestsellers, Max Lucado is America's bestselling inspirational author. He serves the Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas, where he lives with his wife, Denalyn, and their mischievous mutt, Andy. His most recent book published in August 2024 and is titled What Happens Next.

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Reviews

[Jenna Leann Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great study on Daniel and Esther who were both exiles. Lucado does a great job of prefacing the biblical text and providing insight as well and offering space for personal reflection.

[Andria · Rating 4 out of 5]

First theses books of the bible are two of my favorites, so I am almost destined to love the study of the two books. Second, I like how the study is broken up so that you can do as much or as little of the study each day without feeling guilty for not accomplishing a lot on any given day and when time arises you can do more on any given day, makes it personal to the season you are in or the week that you are having. Third, Max Lucado shares parts of his books throughout the study and some of them were ones I hadn’t read yet. Fourth I loved the added readings at the end of the week’s lesson. However, it might have been better to sprinkle those throughout the week with a question or two related to those readings.

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did this book study with my local Bible Study group. I especially liked learning more about Esther as I didn't know a lot about her before. I also love how Max injects humor into his books. The reason I only gave it 3 stars is because the questions are so simple you can almost find them word for word in the text. I feel like it is more geared to a Confirmation class. I much prefer some of Max's other books which make you think a lot more, such as Fearless. I'm doing that Bible Study with a different group right now and much prefer something that makes you look inside yourself for the answers.

[Roberta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful Bible Study.