“And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14b
Ever wondered why on earth you are doing this job? Why you live on this street, or attend these meetings? Why you rub shoulders with these particular people or have these responsibilities? Why am I right here, right now?
I love the story of Esther- the obnoxious King, the crazy beauty contest, the plotting, intrigue, and irony. In fact I’m enjoying a real “Esther-Fest” reading the book in the Old Testament and listening to podcasts. No matter how well I think I know the account, there is always something new and challenging to glean from God’s Word.
This verse in particular is my favorite. It’s pivotal in the life of Esther, and seems to be a real “aha” moment for her.
There she was, living a surreal existence in the palace after winning the approval of King Xerxes and becoming his wife. She had been plucked from an ordinary household, brought up by her guardian Mordecai, with a Jewish heritage, which she had kept secret up to this point. After learning of a wicked plan to annihilate all Jews in the area, she is fearful and understandably anxious for her people, not to mention her own safety.
But these words uttered by Mordecai, a man who most likely knew her better than anyone, were the words that changed her life. Can you imagine her repeating them over and over in her mind, suddenly coming to the realization that just maybe God had a plan to use her? Just maybe that was the reason for her being in that exact situation at that exact time.
From this point on, we see Esther as decisive and confident, putting a master plan into action with precision and patience. She took the responsibility of her people’s safety personally with risk to her own life; such was her conviction and faith in what she believed she had to do. “And if I perish, I perish.”(verse 16b).
Esther was obedient, and God used her mightily in her situation.
Sometimes we question why we are put in a place- it might not be a royal palace, it might be a job, home, friendship, relationship, church, or neighborhood. For the life of us, we can’t see what good can come of it. We’re out of our comfort zone, nervous, anxious, frustrated, scared, or even bored. But who knows, that we have come to such a situation for such a time as this? God makes no mistakes, and He promises to never leave or forsake us. We are part of a plan so much bigger than we can ever imagine.
If we are obedient, God WILL use us mightily in our situation.
I could be doing what I’m doing for such a time as this…
Right here, right now.