For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this? (Esther 4:14 NKJV)
Queen Esther’s cousin said this to her while she considered whether to intercede for her people, the Jews. To do so, she would have to approach the king without first being summoned. And in Esther’s here and now, if the king hadn’t summoned you, the penalty for going into the inner court to see him was death – unless he spared your life by holding out his golden scepter toward you (Esther 4:11). This law applied to everyone, including his queen.
Spoiler alert: Esther bravely entered that inner court and found favor in the king’s sight. In the end, she told the king that it was her people that Haman had plotted to annihilate, Haman was hanged, and Haman’s scheme failed (Esther 5–9).
It’s easy to look at Esther and think: That’s all well and good for her. She had a divine purpose. It’s different for me.
But that’s not true. God has fashioned days for you, too (Psalm 139:16). You were created for good works that God prepared for you to walk in (Ephesians 2:10). It’s not an accident that you exist in the here and now. God providentially put you exactly where you are for a reason.
Of course, we’re not always able to see His plan. So, it can be easy to think that you would have been better off if you
- had been born into a different family,
- lived in another part of the world, or
- had been born in an earlier (or later) time.
We tend to romanticize past eras and forget that people with fortunes also have problems. We don’t realize just how similar life in another country is. No matter where or when you are, human nature is the same.
If you can step back for a moment to look at the bigger picture, you’ll be able to see that
- the city where you live,
- the people in your life,
- the church where you worship,
- the ministry you serve in, and
- the talents you have
combine in a unique way that God can use to work in and through your life – for your good and His glory.
So, spend time in God’s presence. Read His Word. Pray and ask Him for guidance. Trust that He has you here and now for such a time as this. Then, respond with obedience as you walk by faith with Him.
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