“…who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
(Esther 4:14).
Our Thursday afternoon Bible study group recently studied the book of Esther, using a resource entitled, “Made for This Moment” by Max Lucado. Though the word “God” is never even mentioned in the book, we see God at work on every page of Esther. He is there at work whether others recognize it or not. It is not by coincidence that various factors have come together placing a young Jewish girl and her cousin at the centers of power. And yet, this “fortuitous” situation that God has worked together for them did not come without its risks. Esther and her cousin, Mordecai, were called upon to step out in courage and stand firm in their conviction.
The core teaching of Esther can be found in this quoted section of Esther 4:13-14, “Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, ‘Do not think to yourself that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?’” While our situation may be drastically different than Esther’s and may be played out on a much smaller stage, it doesn’t mean that God isn’t just as much at work in our current situation. Nor does it mean that it does not require us to answer God’s calling with just as much trust, courage, and even risk.
We live in a world that is moving so fast that it seems to leave us with our head spinning. “But who knows whether [we] have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” God certainly has plans for us. While we might rightly wonder if we are up for the challenge, he assures us that He will go with us all the way.
The problem is that if we want to make a difference in the world, then God must first make a difference in us. But it is in the ongoing transformation of God’s people them that leads to growth, that leads to renewal, that leads to new opportunities as the Spirit is at work among.
Jesus is calling to us in his Word. He is inviting us to follow. We may not know where the path may lead. We may not know where and when the valleys or mountain tops will come. We may not know what will be asked of us. And yet, we know who it is that is leading us—the one who has gone before us, died for us, and rose for us. We know the Lord who gave his life for us, so that we ourselves may be transformed. So, are we up for an adventure? Are we up for the amazing things that he can do, when God’s people unite together around His mission? After all, “who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14).
God’s Peace, Pastor Kurt Ebert
We should not ask, "What is wrong with the world?" for that diagnosis has already been given. Rather, we should ask, "What has happened to the salt and light?" ~ John Stott
Either a church is missional or it is not the church. Mission is the nature and the purpose of the church, not some list of qualifiers. Because God has a mission, a church arises. Apart from mission, the church is meaningless. ~ Peter Steinke