For Such A Time As This

You ever read a Bible story and just wonder, “What does this have to do with God working in my life?” Me too. So, today, we’ll look the story of Esther and see what Esther’s experience with God shows us about God working in our lives today.

Esther’s experience with God shows us that God made us for this moment and can use us where we are in life. Esther was a queen of an empire, yet God used her for His glory. Likewise, God can use us for His glory today. So, let’s dive into the story of Esther and see what that shows us about God working in our lives today.

The Story Of Esther

Esther was a young Jewish girl living in the ancient Babylonian empire, who became queen and saved her people from a genocide.

The story begins with King Ahasuerus hosting a grand banquet, during which he becomes displeased with his queen, Vashti, and banishes her.

So, he searches for a new queen and selects Esther, who is a young Jewish woman living in Persia with her cousin Mordecai. However, Esther conceals her Jewish heritage because of Mordecai’s advice.

Meanwhile, Mordecai uncovers a plot by the king’s prime minister, Haman, to annihilate all the Jews in Persia. Haman is offended by Mordecai’s refusal to bow down to him, and in retaliation, he convinces the king to issue a decree allowing the genocide of the Jews on a specific day.

Mordecai encourages Esther to use her position as queen to intercede with the king and save her people.

He tells her, “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? (Esther 4:14)”

Initially hesitant due to the risk of approaching the king without being summoned (she could be banished or executed), Esther eventually agrees to Mordecai’s request, saying, “If I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16). She approaches the king and invites him and Haman to a banquet.

At the banquet, Esther reveals her Jewish heritage and informs the king of Haman’s evil plan. The king becomes enraged and orders Haman to be executed on the very gallows he had prepared for Mordecai.

However, the decree to annihilate the Jews cannot be revoked, because Persian laws could not be undone.Mordecai and Esther then work together to issue a counter-decree allowing the Jews to defend themselves on the appointed day.

As a result, the Jews successfully defend themselves against their enemies, and the day is celebrated as the festival of Purim, commemorating the deliverance of the Jewish people.

Esther’s Experience of God

God is in Control of Our Situations

Esther’s experience of God is much like ours today. She was living her normal, ordinary, everyday life when she was thrown into this life of pomp, pageantry, and peril.

Esther was forced into this beauty pageant and won. As a result, she was forced to become queen. All of this happened largely outside her control.

We too, live our ordinary lives when all of the sudden we are thrown into circumstances beyond our control.

Though Esther was placed in circumstances beyond her control, God was still in control. God had a plan. He made Esther and used Esther in this moment to bring Him glory, to save His people from annihilation.

We also find ourselves in places and positions outside our control. Perhaps we are asked to step up and lead a project at work. Or we find ourselves volunteering at the school again. We all have found ourselves in places and positions, that aren’t bad, but also wasn’t where we were intending to land.

But God’s in control. Just like He used Esther as Queen, He can use us as PTA president, or as a new manager. God can and will use us where we are for His glory. After all, it’s Him who placed us there.

God Can Speak to Us Through Those Around Us

God used Mordecai to speak to Esther, just like God uses those around us to speak to us today.

Throughout, the story of Esther, Mordecai offers advice, wisdom, and encouragement to the young queen. Without Mordecai, God’s people may not have been saved the way they were. God used Modecai just as much as He did Esther.

Do we have someone in our life who God can use to speak to us? Perhaps, a close friend, family member, or pastor?

Let’s also ask ourselves this: Are we willing to be the person God uses to speak into other people’s lives? Are we sharing God’s love and story with others? Are we speaking the truth with love when someone comes to us for advice?

God is working Behind the Scenes to Use us For His Glory

Throughout the story of Esther we see God working behind the scenes to rescue His people.

God causes the King to banish Vashti. God causes Esther to win the pageant. God causes Mordecai to be honored by the King and hated by Haman. God uses Esther to save His people.

Likewise, God can cause things in our lives or the lives of those around us to lead us into a closer relationship with Him. God works behind the scenes in our lives to spread the gospel and deepen our faith.

We may never know the full impact we’ve had on the kingdom of God, the ways in which God used us for His glory, until we enter into the Glorious Kingdom.

God Made Us for This Moment

Let me ask you a question: If you could live at any time in history, when would it be?

I can think of lots of different times I would like to live and experience: ancient Greece, ancient Rome, pagan Britain, ancient Sumer, before the Great Flood, etc.

Whatever time you would like to live in, whatever time period you feel like you belong to, God could have chosen. You could’ve been born years, decades, even centuries earlier. But God chose this moment. You are made to for this moment.

What does that mean? You were specifically created by God to bring Him the most glory through your life today. Not one hundred years ago. Not one hundred decades ago. Not one hundred years from now. But today.

You were made for this moment. You were made to thrive today. You were made to go through all that you’ve been through in life. Why? Because God can use you through it all to bring Him glory.

Parents, the world is tough. But God made your children for this moment. They will be able to face and overcome the challenges of this world today. Because God made them for it, He will see them through it. You will see God use your children in ways they could not be used any other time in history to bring God glory.

You may wish to go back to simpler times. Or you may wish that we could progress far enough to solve some major world problems. But let me tell you, like Esther, God made you for this moment in time, and He can and will use you to bring Him glory.