Such a Time as This
By Jana Kelley
“And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14b
Sometimes I just want to pull the bedcovers over my head and hide from reality. Do you ever feel that way?
Queen Esther, a Jewish girl exiled to Persia, might have had thoughts like this. Yes, she was a beautiful queen, but she also hid her identity as one living in exile along with all her people. She was also a member of a harem belonging to a foreign king who loved to party. Not so romantic after all, right? I think she may have questioned her life sometimes.
Yet God was working a plan to save His chosen people. Esther may never have imagined she’d play a role in such a great cause, but her uncle, Mordecai, saw her potential. When he learned of a plan to kill all Jews, he challenged Esther to stand up and be brave. “Who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
Esther: the orphan, exile, member of a harem.
As daughters of our God, we often struggle to keep our heads above water. Take an extra risk? Well that’s simply out of the question.
But it might be God’s plan.
Read the whole book of Esther to see how God saved His chosen people. (Hint: it has something to do with a case of insomnia.)
God is still working today. While most of us aren’t queens or wives of great rulers, we’re uniquely gifted and intentionally placed. Each of us should consider our roles, our locations, our situations. What might God do through us if we ask Him what stand we should take for Him right where we are? Perhaps God has placed you in your situation “for such a time as this.” Are you willing to take a risk for Him?
Jana Kelley, a contributor to Wholly Loved Ministries’ devotional project, is a Texan who hardly ever lives in Texas. Raised in Southeast Asia, Jana developed a love for cross-cultural living early in life. Her love for writing came soon after. She and her husband married in college and by their second anniversary, they lived in a remote African town. After 13 years in Africa and the Middle East, they moved to Southeast Asia where they and their three boys currently live. Jana is the author of two devotional books and three novels. You can learn more about her at janakelley.com.
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