At the King’s table it’s a lavish occasion. The banquet hall is filled with guests. The elation in His eyes dazzles the room. He’s glowing… flawless… absolutely taken by love and everyone can see it. The whole kingdom can feel it… and soon everyone will feel the effects of it.

The Queen has come.

Her beauty tells the story of His smile.

Her tact enchants the heart of all the empire.

“The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen.”
‭‭Esther‬ ‭2:17‬

He’s in love…
Not just any love…
Royal love. ♥️

His joy is so palpable for his bride, it stirs him to do something for everyone in his midst… He gives generously to the whole kingdom.

“Then the king gave a great feast for all his officials and servants; it was Esther’s feast. He also granted a remission of taxes to the provinces and gave gifts with royal generosity.”
‭‭Esther‬ ‭2:18

Love makes you generous.

I love the parallelism in this. God has given the king a generous gift… Esther. Now the king gives a generous gift… to all provinces.

When you’re satisfied in the one you love, it makes you want to give… and give… and give…

Now the whole kingdom is flowing abundantly like a river teeming after the rains.

when the meadows

come back to life

I know the king

looks on his bride

with love’s delight

the kingdom’s florescent

all shining bright

Godly leadership flourishes when there is royal love at home.

Verse 17 says “he loved Esther more than all the women.” He makes a covenant with her and he commits to her only. He doesn’t choose multiple women. He chooses 1. Esther. And because he has chosen one, his heart is able to fully give itself to Esther and experience the benefits of that singular-focused investment.

The heart experiences its fullest pleasure in monogamous commitment.

The king was never described as being happy with royal generosity nor throwing a feast for all the women during the 1 year of beautification. He only did this for Esther. Without a foundation of a monogamous relationship, there is no foundation for love to land on or grow. He had woman after woman given to him but it wasn’t until he chose Esther only… that his whole mood changed. And he was ecstatically happy. More than he had every been.

We were designed for love. One love. With one lover.

God is our ultimate lover. And when he blesses us with relationships, it’s meant to be between those 2 in covenant relationship forever. By God’s own design for marriage.

Pure satisfaction can only come from this kind of relationship… royal love. And it brings more joy than any short-term pleasure can. The king is so happy now that he gives the whole region a tax break and gifts upon gifts.

The king blesses everyone under his care because of how happy his bride makes him.

This makes him a better leader and it improves the people’s wellbeing as well. Love is the foundation for a thriving soul. And it has to be pure love. Royal love.

Reciprocal generosity flows from royal love.

What is royal love?

Love from God. The King. Encounters of His love. Anything and everything from Him & nothing less. Royal love is God’s love.

You know it because it comes from His Holy Spirit.

Where there is royal love, there is royal satisfaction. And from royal satisfaction flows royal generosity.

when I look into your eyes

and feel your soul

by candlelight

there’s nothing that I wouldn’t give you

you’ve won my heart

my love

my life

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:5

Love with God is passionate and unashamed.

Like Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. No sin had tained the purity of what they shared. Pure love is unashamed.

The king’s love for Esther was so strong he threw a extravagant feast in her honor all because he was ecstatic in love. He didn’t care how much it cost. He wanted to bless her. He wasn’t concerned about saving up his own wealth. He gave to every person in the kingdom He led. Because that’s what you do what you’re happy… you give.

Love is contagious.

Love touches everyone in your proximity because it oozes out of you just like it did in King Ahasuerus.

The king was generous in gifts he gave to the people and he was also generous in the power he gave to Esther.

Verse 17 of Esther chapter 2 says “he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen.”

In doing so, he dignified her worth and gave her responsibility, prestige, power and worth in the sight of all people. He was generous to give her this. As the king, he could have kept power for himself but he does not. Instead, he grants her power as well out of his own generosity, which germinated from his love for her. His delight in her.

God is generous because He owns all. He has power over every possession and every blessing and He can release it at once. It’s His pleasure to do so.

He gives us royal dignity as His own people. One day we will be like him with glorified bodies like He is… (1 John 3:2; 1 Corinthians 15) and we will reign with Him as His royal people (2 Timothy 2:12). He bestows authority on us from His spirit. Because he is generous to share with us. Only He is God, but yet He chooses to make us holy as He is.

That is the mark of a generous God.

You can have as much of God as you want to… let Him be your enchantment. Let Him be your love. He likes to love you and He will never run out of love.

God is worthy of all of me… and everything I can give Him… because of my love for Him. And He lavishes me because He loves me. He knows just what my heart needs.

The world will offer love but it’s not love. Love that’s not the Bible’s definition of love is not love. Keep out what the world sells. I don’t want anything that the world sells as love. I only want what God says is love. What He says is truth and what He has is real.

Where there is a lack of generosity there is a lack of royalty. True kings and queens give abundantly.

“If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?
Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:17-18

Generosity comes from being given much from the Lord. It’s a natural overflow of what He gives.

Drink love that comes from God and He fills you brimming over.

“Satisfy us in the morning with your loyal love! Then we will shout for joy and be happy all our days.” Psalm 90:14

There is no alternative for pure, potent love.

The reason why God’s love feels so good is because it’s the real thing… from the King. From His hands flow generosity. And His hands satisfy.

“You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Psalm 16:11