God Wants YOU!
This devotional was written by Kelly McFadden
For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this? —Esther 4:14
Some years ago, before my husband and I moved abroad for a time, I struggled with leaving my job. I ran a ministry for homeless families in Southern California and did not want to say goodbye. One reason was the nagging question of how this ministry would survive the transition when we did not have a solid commitment for a replacement. As the time got closer for us to leave, my anxiety grew. I left feeling like I let everyone down and I prayed that all the hard work our team had done would not crumble in my absence.
Sometime later, I received an email from the new leader of the ministry. She shared how God was moving and growing the ministry in amazing ways. This email reminded me of Esther. If you recall, Esther was put in a situation where she had to decide, a decision that could cost her life. She was asked to appear before the king and plead for the lives of the Jewish people. As she deliberated on what she was asked to do, her cousin, Mordecai, challenged her by saying that deliverance would come—her choice was whether to be a part of it or not.
The email was a reminder to me that I am a part of the Lord’s plan, not all of it. It can be easy to get arrogant when doing the Lord’s work, thinking that it is all up to us and that God counts on us to get things done, that things will fall apart without us there. The ministry I led was God’s ministry, not mine. When I was there, wonderful things happened, not because God needed me, but because God allowed me to be a part of it. When I moved on, God did not stop working miracles. His work continued without me.
The Lord wants us to be a part of His plans. He wants to use us to advance His kingdom. Mordecai said, “Who knows but that you have been called to royal position for such a time as this?” Allow God to use you wherever you are. He wants to use you in amazing ways!
GOING DEEPER:
1. What do you see as the difference between being needed by God and His wanting to use you wherever you are?
2. What areas in your life have you felt that God has been calling you to His work? How have you responded or how do you need to respond?
FURTHER READING:
Matthew 11:28; John 3:30; Romans 8:28
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