Three scenes, all within days of each other.
In Hollywood, an Orthodox Israeli director, Joseph Cedar, is preparing to film a new thriller called “Useful Idiots.” A disillusioned journalist starts pulling on a loose thread—a record-breaking penthouse sale—and discovers a shadowy oligarch whose power stretches across Manhattan, protected by fixers, enablers, and a brilliant young strategist. The deeper she digs, the more dangerous it becomes for her and her family.
In Washington, cameras capture a surprisingly warm Oval Office meeting between President Donald Trump and New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani—a man who has accused Israel of “committing genocide” in Gaza and the United States of funding it, while also saying he cares “very deeply” about Jewish safety in New York. Outside the photo op, protests at a synagogue shout “globalize the intifada” and “death to the IDF.”
And in Europe, a controversial peace proposal for Ukraine reminds us how messy and painful “solutions” can be when powerful nations redraw maps, define reality, and decide who should live with what loss.
Very different stories—but all of them whisper the same biblical warning:
“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise,
making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”
— Ephesians 5:15–17 (NIV)
One simple outline from this passage helps us: watch your step, use your head, make the most of every chance, and understand what the Master wants. That is the opposite of what the world calls “useful idiots.”
As a modern-day Esther, you cannot afford to live on autopilot in this moment.
Smiles in the Oval Office, Slogans in the Streets
The Oval Office photos look calm—even charming. Two former enemies exchanging compliments, laughing, and promising to help New Yorkers with the cost of living.
But listen to the words behind the smiles.
Standing next to the president, Mamdani repeats his charge that Israel is committing “genocide” and that American tax dollars are funding it. He has supported protests where crowds outside a New York synagogue shout “globalize the intifada” and “death to the IDF.” He backs boycotts of Israel while promising to “root out antisemitism” across the city.
If we only look at the handshake photo and not the full pattern of words and actions, it’s easy to get confused.
Paul’s first phrase comes to mind:
“Be very careful, then, how you live…”
Watch your step.
You and I are not in the Oval Office, but we are walking through rough terrain: headlines, social media feeds, campus protests, podcasts, and conversations where people repeat strong words they may not fully understand.
Like a hunter picking his way through rattlesnakes and cactus, we have to watch where we put our feet—and where we put our agreement.
The Story Behind “Useful Idiots”
Now picture Cedar’s upcoming film.
A veteran journalist is tired of writing puff pieces about the ultra-rich. She stumbles on a massive penthouse sale and starts asking: Who is really behind this? The deeper she digs, the more she sees a web of power—an oligarch whose influence reaches across the city, surrounded by enablers who protect him and profit from him. Telling the truth becomes dangerous.
You don’t have to see the movie to feel the theme:
Some people benefit from lies. Others are used by them.
That’s what the phrase “useful idiots” means—people who lend their voice, their vote, or their platform to destructive powers, often believing they are doing good.
We see the same spiritual pattern today:
When leaders casually use loaded words like “genocide,” while downplaying open hatred shouted at synagogues…
When protests in the name of “human rights” excuse calls for violence and the erasing of the Jewish state…
When commentators gain influence by twisting history, facts, and even Scripture…
…it’s not hard to see how people become tools in someone else’s agenda.
Paul’s next line is very practical:
“…not as unwise but as wise…”
Use your head.
If we simply absorb whatever is loudest, angriest, or most emotional, we will not live like modern-day Esthers. We will be easily used.
The Dangerous Gift of Our Attention
The debates over Ukraine remind us: leaders sometimes have to face realities they don’t like. Peace plans can feel unfair. Maps can be redrawn in ways that look like defeat. But pretending reality is something it is not does not help anyone.
The same is true in our walk with God.
We live in “evil days.” We do not get to choose whether there is spiritual warfare—we only get to choose whether we are awake in it.
“…making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”
For Christian Women For Israel, that means asking very practical questions:
What am I sharing, liking, or repeating about the world around me?
Am I checking claims before I pass them on, or just reacting?
Do I test what I hear against the Bible, or against whatever group I feel closest to right now?
If I’m honest, am I more shaped by headlines and hashtags—or by the Word of God and the heart of the Lord?
In these evil days, am I just absorbing whatever I hear, or am I slowing down to ask, “Lord, what is true? What do You say about this?”
Scripture is blunt:
“The simple believe anything,
but the prudent give thought to their steps.”
— Proverbs 14:15 (NIV)
“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God…”
— 1 John 4:1 (NIV)
God is not asking you to be an expert in geopolitics. But He is asking you to be careful, prayerful, and anchored in His Word as you listen, read, watch, and speak.
Esthers in an Age of Enablers
Hollywood will tell one story about powerful men and the woman who exposes them. Washington will tell another story about leaders who “find common ground” despite deep disagreements. Commentators will tell their own stories about Ukraine, Gaza, New York, and the future.
But God is telling a different story—through you.
You may never stand in the Oval Office. You may never interview an oligarch. But as a modern-day Esther, your calling is just as real:
Watch your step. Guard your heart and mind from spin and slogans that dull your love for truth, for Israel, and for the Jewish people.
Use your head. Ask God for wisdom before you speak, share, or decide what to believe.
Make the most of every chance. When hard topics come up at church, online, or around your table, don’t shrink back. Gently bring God’s Word and truth into the conversation.
Understand what the Master wants. Remember His promises, His heart for His people, and His desire that none should perish but all come to repentance.
Esther did not choose her palace. She did choose her response.
“And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
— Esther 4:14 (NIV)
In an age of “useful idiots,” the Lord is still looking for women who walk carefully, seek Him earnestly, and refuse to be used by the spirit of the age.
Today’s Prayer
Lord Jesus,
Thank You for calling me to walk carefully in days that are truly evil. Open my eyes to the lies and half-truths that swirl around me, and keep me from being used by any agenda that does not honor You. Teach me to test what I hear, to love truth, and to listen first for Your voice.
Strengthen Your people in Israel and around the world. Protect Jewish communities facing hatred and fear. Raise up storytellers, leaders, and everyday believers who honor truth instead of twisting it.
Make me a modern-day Esther in my own sphere—awake, wise, and faithful to Your will.
In Your name I pray, Amen.
