W.o.G. Wednesday: Esther 4:14(b)

Esther 4:14

^14.b. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?


You may remember that I started an Esther Study (yes! Beth Moore's!) earlier this summer. It is a great in-depth look into a book of the Bible that I "knew" but didn't "know". In other words, I knew the story but I didn't know how much of the story I was missing until we started delving into it.

Background

Esther was a beautiful young Jewish orphan girl who, after a crazy set of circumstances, was chosen by the King of Persia to be his wife! Her cousin, Mordecai, raised her as his own daughter and was very involved in her life pre-queening (wow...is that really a word?). Once she became queen, she lived in her own little bubble of maids and eunuchs, feasting and parties.

One day, an advisor to the king (Haman) decided to enact a law to kill and annihilateevery Jew in Persia...and the king agreed, not knowing his wife, Esther, was Jewish! The edict went out and all the Jews in Persia were, of course, went into panic mode (does Haman's plan sound familiar? like one of the worst dictator's in all of history? yikes!) Esther, being in the Palace bubble, did not know about this new law so Mordecai had to contact her and let her know.

Enter Chapter 4...Esther is debating with Mordecai about entering the king's presence and pleading with him to save the lives of her people, the Jews. Right now, Esther is refusing to do so...until she hears Mordecai's words:

"And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?"

In other words, God placed Esther in that exact position at that exact time for a PURPOSE and that purpose just might have been to save the lives of her people!

Application

I love this verse and can think of at least three ways to make it applicable:

1. God placed me in this exact location, position, and time for a purpose and I can choose to make a difference or just let it pass me by--as Mordecai tells Esther in another verse, God's plan will still be accomplished but she can be used, and in a mighty way, if she chooses.



2. I always wanted to grow up in the 50s or 60s...or even during the Pioneer era. I just thought I'd be a better fit for those time periods. Obviously, though, God clearly did not want me, with the talents and faults that He gave me, to be born at any other time. I need to be grateful for where I am!



3. All those times I longed and longed to be a mother and grieved over the losses of my 3 prior pregnancies now have a bit more meaning: God didn't want Baby C to be born until the very exact second that she arrived. He purposes the time and location of each person and I can rest in that peace, knowing that Baby C is here on God's perfect schedule!

What about you? Does this get you excited knowing you are here right this minute for a real purpose? It certainly pumps me up! I'd love to hear if you found any life applications from this verse, too!