For Such a Time as This

In the Old Testament, let's take a look at the life of Esther: "The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti" (Esther 2:17). Though a Jew, Esther had risen to be the Queen of Persia.

When her cousin Mordecai "would not bow or pay homage" before Haman, the King's top official (3:2), Haman "sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus—the people of Mordecai" (v. 6b). So Mordecai, when he heard this, appealed to Esther to intercede with the king on behalf of her people (4:8b), but she was reluctant. She replied, "All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days" (v. 11).

Then Mordecai said: "Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king's palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (vv. 13-14).

Esther was not living up to her God-given purpose until she heard these words from Mordecai. She was challenged and she responded. She went before the king and there was a great deliverance of her people (5:1ff). So even though she hesitated at first, in the end, when God spoke, Esther listened and was used by God to deliver her people. She had a willing heart.

Now, we might want to cut Esther a little slack. We can certainly understand why she hesitated. In that culture, to approach the king without being summoned by him was an offense punishable by death (4:11). So perhaps Queen Esther hesitated for good reason. Yet she didn't hesitate for long. She merely wanted to be certain of God's leading. When she was certain that God was in it, she knew that it was the right thing to do and, regardless of the outcome for her (v. 16b), she knew that God would accomplish His purpose in saving His people. All along her heart was in the right place and she was willing to follow God's lead and do what He asked of her.

What we take away from this story is that God is seeking a willing heart. When you walk with the Lord Jesus and live by His Word, God will pour out His blessings on you and use you to accomplish His will. Like Esther, you just need a willing heart. Amen.