For Such a Time as THIS

Esther. You may know her from the Bible.  She was orphaned, raised by a cousin, brought to live in a palace, hid her ancestry, then was given a twelve-month extreme makeover. Her beauty pleased the king so much that he made her queen. Esther found herself in a position where she was the only one who could save her race, and she had to risk her life to do it.

It’s this point in the story where her cousin Mordecai challenges Esther, “But who knows that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

What an adventure! What a grand story! What an important role she played in history!

That phrase “…for such a time as this” has been used over and over when someone is facing a huge challenge, given incredible circumstances, or deciding on promotion or a leadership opportunity. “God is using you…for such a time as this.”

But many of us, most of us, aren’t living a legendary story. We’re not risking our lives. We don’t all have beauty that will make us stand out above hundreds of women. We won’t capture the eyes of a king. We don’t wear a crown. We don’t live in a palace.

God used Esther to save the Jewish race. And she had the courage to rise to the challenge. “If I perish, I perish,” was her response to Mordecai.

During a phone conversation I recently had with a friend, she brought up the account of Esther. She said “God may be using you for such a time as THIS.” Putting an emphasis on the THIS that made me hear that verse in a way I’ve never heard it before.

This. This kitchen table. This ordinary day. This job. This town. This family.

We shouldn’t be waiting for a certain grand purpose. A legendary save-the-world kind of story that will be told for generations.

What THIS is your THIS? Where are you right this second? What are you facing this very day?

Don’t wait for some big THIS for God to show up. Your THIS is the THIS all around you. Yes, he’s in the big sweeping battles whose victories are celebrated. Yes, he may call some to a legendary purpose that books will be written about. But God also shows up in the sink-full-of-dishes, late-for-work, nose-wiping, meet-a-friend-for-coffee day to day.

Esther rose to royalty, risked her life and saved her race. That was her THIS. Your THIS is the THIS right in front of you. And your time is now.

(Originally published January 12, 2018)