I love it when the Bible portrays the strength of women. Not in a feminist, ‘I-wear-the pants kind of way’, but in a way that speaks to the great things that can be accomplished in the world and in the Kingdom when God places us where he needs us. I mentioned in the world here because the palace that Esther lived in was not in Loma Linda, Oakwood, CUC or a Seventh Day Adventist community. She existed in a space and time that directly went against all the doctrines she was taught. She lived in a place where it would be dangerous or even downright stupid to some to stand up for what she believed in.
I love the book of Esther because Mordecai and Esther both say some very profound statements that makes you sit back and really think of what the faith of a Jew had to be like in those times.
When impending death loomed over the Jewish camp, it was a scary time for them. But Mordecai believed that she was strategically positioned to help fulfill God’s plan for the deliverance of the Jews. Moreover, he believed that even if Esther was not the one to do that, deliverance would STILL come. He said ” For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and they father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14
For Esther, being the queen of Shushan may have been the epitome of her existence. A height she never dreamed to reach, but it was one divinely appointed by God. A position that would be instrumental in the deliverance of her family and her people.
The words of Mordecai say so much about our lives and our place in God’s plan for deliverance and salvation. Could it be that our positioning in life, our status, our jobs, where we live and what we do isn’t totally about us? Could it be that God places us where HE needs us so that we can fulfill His purpose and play out part in the great plan of redemption? While it may be a difficult thought to grasp, what if our lives as we know it is not about us?
Actively seek after God. Ask Him, even in the situation that is a cause for discomfort, what His plan is. Desire his leading to your point of purpose. Only to the end that His name would be glorified and it would draw those around us closer to the God that loves us and gave Himself for us.
Salt of the Earth 