“For such a time as this”

Esther: “All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that he/she be put to death…” Mordecai: “…And who knows but that you have come to this royal position for such a time as this? Esther 4: 11 and 14

Verse Reflections:  Studying these verses in Esther was truly life changing for me.  Queen Esther was one of many wives.  She could literally be put to death if she approached the King without his permission.  She was afraid to approach the King to ask for the lives of the Jews.  Her Uncle Mordecai’s response is the part that changed my view of my life.  “What if you have come to this position for such a time as this?”  Wow!  What if YOU, what if I have come to the positions we are in for a reason that will come our way today?  It makes me take today so much more seriously.  It makes me want to eat right, to protect my health, to protect my relationship with God so that I hear His voice, and I am ready.  I want to not be afraid to do whatever it is that God asks of me.  I know I am here on this earth for a reason.  What if my reason is today?  It is bigger than eating right, it is bigger than fitting into my clothes or weighing a certain amount.  But all of those things are part of me living my life for God.

Wow! It is a couple of days later and I just read in John 12:27 that Jesus used the exact same phrase right before being taken prisoner leading to His crucifixion.  “Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say?  Father save me from this hour: but for this cause I was born.”

Prayer:  Father, allow me to be Esther.  Allow me to know that I am here on earth for a reason.  Give me the courage to be ready to accept that my reason for being put in the position You have put me in may occur today.  Give me the strength to dedicate my eating to You.  And yet, I want to go beyond and dedicate my life to You.  I want to hear Your voice, I want to have the courage that Esther had.  As crazy as some people may think it is, I know that giving You my eating habits, my health, my vanity is part of living for You.  I want to live for You today and every day.  I want to know that when the moment(s) come I will be ready.  I will be ready to know that it is for such a time as this that I was born.  May I be ready when that time comes to serve You.