One of my favorite verses in all of Scripture is Esther 4:14. It brings into living color, for me, one of God’s most marvelous and life-altering truths: That our God willingly intervenes in the events of our lives to bring about His divine plane and purpose. And…that this divine intervention cannot only impact our individual lives but can also alter the course of history!
The book of Esther tells how a Jewish girl became the queen of Persian and saved her people from a plot to destroy her fellow Jews. She is assisted in this endeavor by her cousin and guardian, Mordecai. It also explains how a special festival, called Purim, was established to recall and celebrate the deliverance that the Jews had experienced.
Due to the fact that Queen Vashti, the wife of King Xerxes, refused to obey a command of her husband, the King ordered that beautiful young virgins be brought to him so he could choose one of them to become his queen. Esther was one of these. She dutifully and willingly respected the king while also sensing that God was in the midst of changing the trajectory of her life, as well as the future of her fellow Jews. Day in and day out, Esther was obedient to the requests of the king and treated him with utmost respect. Yet she was also in contact with Mordecai and more importantly, listening to the counsel and leading of Almighty God.
I am part of a wonderful weekly Bible study comprised of 16 women, with many denominations represented. What binds us together is the fact that we love Jesus and seek to honor Him as we live our lives. What I just love about our group is the transparency – we celebrate each other’s triumphs and comfort each other in times of tragedy and struggle. We also speak the truth of God’s Word into each other’s lives when in need or redirecting or correcting. I have a particularly treasured sister in the group, who for a long time, has felt she really doesn’t have anything to bring to the group, in the form of gifting or service. We have tried, up to this point unsuccessfully, to convince her otherwise.
Recently, one of our long-time leaders shared that her plate was simply too full to carry on in a leadership role. She still wanted to be a part of the group but felt she needed to step back. A few of us took this moment as an opportunity to tell our hesitant friend that we felt this was God’s way of leading her to step up to the plate. I repeatedly told her that just because she was quiet and gentle, not a “let’s go!!!” cheerleader type like yours truly, it was time for her quiet wisdom to take center stage. She was BECOMING more convinced that God just might be calling her to step up, but I felt she needed one more gentle push to get her over the finish line! So, I shot her a text as “food for thought”:
Esther 4:14 – “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?”
To my delight, she responded with a “thumbs up” and a short message: “Let’s go, partner!!!”
Is God speaking to you about taking on something new? Terrifying but wonderful at the same time? Seek His will in prayer. Talk with a trusted friend. Your decision could not only change your life but impact the world.
Joshua 1:9 – “Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Blessings,
Christine
