Love That Never Fails

79. For Such a Time as This

Have you ever wondered how good it would be to have an overview of the plot of your life so you could see what was coming up and how you would get through it? Imagine if we had known about the events of 2020 in advance! One thing is certain, when we choose to trust God each day, we don't have to be afraid of what is ahead of us. When we put our lives in God's Hands, He positions us in the right place at the right time, as we see in the dramatic story Esther. You might like to take time to read it in your Bible before continuing on —it really is an exciting story and doesn't take too long to read!

A very brief summary is here if you don't have time to read all the details right now:

The story of Esther takes place in Susa, in the palace of the Persian King Xerxes. The king banished his queen and chose a young Jewish woman named Esther to be her replacement. Esther was an orphan who had been adopted and cared for by her cousin, Mordecai, a palace official. Mordecai advised Esther not to tell anyone that she was a Jew, and she obeyed.

The king's highest official Haman hated the Jews and tricked the king into giving permission to have them all killed. The remainder of the story details how Esther risked her own life in order to save her people the Jews.  Afterward, Mordecai and Esther wrote a letter to the Jews, telling them to celebrate the festival of Purim every year to remember how the nation was saved.

The interesting thing about this book of Esther is that it doesn't mention God, but the whole plot shows that God was definitely protecting his people by making Esther queen at this time in history. Mordecai showed great wisdom when he spoke to Esther of the great opportunity she had in the position she found herself in at this time:

"Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?"

How amazing that God took this one young woman and brought her to the palace of the king in order to protect the people He loved! Who knows what God has for us to do in the places and positions we are in right now? Perhaps things have changed a lot for you during this time and you could be wondering why you are at home instead of being at work. Keep trusting God because you never know when your 'such a time as this' moment will become apparent! Mordecai's words were very encouraging to Esther as she bravely prepared to approach the king:

Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.""
‭‭Esther‬ ‭4:13-16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Here we see Esther putting her trust in God by ordering a fast. She knew how powerful it was when people put aside their own fleshly desires to seek God's will. This preparation made all the difference! The Jews were saved and Mordecai didn't lose his life as Haman had plotted —it was quite the opposite:

"When Mordecai left the king's presence, he was wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration. For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy, gladness and honor. In every province and in every city to which the edict of the king came, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them."
‭‭Esther‬ ‭8:15-17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

God is still writing our story and we can be sure that as we trust Him, we will be in the right place at the right time!

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3:5-6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Let's pray:

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for this amazing story and the lessons I can learn from it. I am again so struck by the incredible love that You showed for Your people and how You positioned Esther to be in the palace at this time so the Jews could be saved.

Thank You for the encouragement this is to me, knowing that as I trust You, I can be sure You will lead me to be in the right place. Even now I am thankful that I am where I am for such a time as this in 2020! I don't understand everything that is happening and why but knowing that you love me, I can trust that You will guide me through. Help me to be brave as Esther was and to remember that You have a greater plan that I cannot see.

Today I will trust You with all my heart!
In Jesus' Name,
Amen.