Esther 4 – Famous One Liner

There it is. The most famous of all the Esther lines:

“And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" - Esther 4:14

Great question. Typically rhetorical questions aren’t of this magnitude. But wait. Is it rhetorical? Great question again.

I think the heart of it, and for our purposes, it most certainly is. Especially when we take a moment to think about God’s sovereignty and his movement. We know that while our plans are many, it’s the Lord’s purpose that prevails, so why would any of us be placed in the situation we are in for no reason? Why would God give us the influence, the authority, the leadership, and the position to impact others for His good if we were not to do so?

Who knows? But maybe each of us has come to this position, for such as time as this (too).

Father, in error we often look beyond today, and miss today. We wonder what’s next. We wonder what our purpose is for tomorrow. We wonder why we are where we are. Regardless of our circumstances, help us to see how we can use our current stage in life for your glory. Help us to understand how your hand has guided us to this place, that others might see you, and that our faith might be strengthened. More than anything God, don’t let us neglect even looking. Amen.

Esther 2 – Special Plans

I love to remind my kids that God has special plans for their lives and that I can’t wait to see what they are. There are a couple of reasons I do this: (1) I hope it’s an encouraging word to them. (2) I hope they begin to believe it themselves and it can play just a small role in their desire to discover God’s best for their lives. (3) I hope they become visionary thinkers. But more than anything, (4) I just really believe He does.

Mordecai felt this way about Esther. We see it in chapter two and we’ll continue to see it more and more as the story unfolds.

“But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai's instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up.” – Esther 2:20

I think one of the greatest tragedies is realized when we feel as a child of God, that we have nothing to offer the Kingdom of God. This is simply not true. Each one of us has a place and an opportunity to be a part of His mission. It’s sad when we settle for less. It’s unfulfilling when we think we are only to be receivers of God’s movement. There’s a void when we sit on the sideline of faith and watch others get in the game, and then wonder why we feel like there’s got to be something more.

Be encouraged. But also be challenged. God has something for you to do. There’s a role for you to play. It’s an important role. And it’s not “for” Him, it’s “with” Him and “of” Him. You’re simply not alone.

So I’m pondering this. For those of us who believe in God… the God who created the universe… how could we think it logical to live anything but a life fully committed to pursuing His plan for our lives? It makes sense that the only place we’ll find the fulfillment, contentment, and wholeness He promises is in the place of His purpose. It may not be easy, but it certainly makes logical sense.

“But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.” – Psalm 33:11

God has a really big plan. He has a plan to reconcile and renew the world through His Son. Do we take the time to ponder how our once broken relationship with a sovereign God can now be restored? Do we consider the role we might play in pointing others towards realizing the same?

God has a plan for us to be a part of His work. Just as I can’t wait to see what that looks like in my kids, I think God values seeing us realize the same in ourselves. As a pastor, it’s amazing to watch it happen.