by Lara Cook
For if you keep silent at
this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place,
but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not
come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Esther 4:14 ESV
Esther was a beautiful Jewish woman who was divinely
appointed by God to be the Queen of Persia.
While she was the Queen, a decree by a man named Haman went out that all
Jews were to be killed. Her uncle
Mordecai sent her a letter saying that even though she was the queen, she was
still a Jew and would be killed. She
could not escape in the King’s palace.
Esther was desperate.
She needed to talk to the King but realized no one could just waltz into
the King’s presence…even if you were the queen.
She had to have permission or she could be executed for walking in
unannounced. Her uncle Mordecai confronted
her with these words: For if you keep
silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another
place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you
have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Esther 4:14 Esther realized she had a huge
responsibility to speak for her people.
Believing that God had prepared her for this very moment in
history— for such a time as this — as a vessel of deliverance for
her people, Esther urged all of the Jews in the city to fast and pray for her.
She was about to risk her life to request an audience with the king. The Queen did get an opportunity to speak to
the King and he was infuriated with Haman’s plan to execute all Jews. He was so angry he had Haman executed
instead.
For Such A
Time As This
Esther knew that she had been chosen by God for that
particular moment in history. She may
not have been happy about the responsibility or the danger involved, but she
knew what she was being called to do by God and she obeyed.
No matter where you are in life, you are right where you are
for a purpose. Sometimes we may find
ourselves in a position we don’t want to be in or living a life that is nothing
like we had hoped or dreamed. God may
choose us for places that are uncomfortable and places where we have to
sacrifice and lay down our own personal thoughts, feelings, and plans. Even if it is hard and you are bone weary, if
you are where you believe God wants you, you may have to tell yourself every
day, God
chose me for this purpose. He created me
for such a time as this.
Remember
that God is looking for those He can use regardless of their position. Esther may have been a queen but she acted as
a servant. God loves to use the
available. Paul said, For consider your
calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not
many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world
to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the
things which are strong, 1 Corinthians
1:26-27 NASB
God may not have chosen you to save a nation like He did
Esther, but every purpose of God’s is important. Every task, no matter how small it may seem,
is a building block in His kingdom. Believe
and obey and He will give you the courage He gave Esther and He will give you
the strength to keep going.
Scripture to Claim:
For from him and through him and to him are all
things. To him be glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:36 ESV
