My life as I had known it was falling apart. The one man I loved so deeply, my grandpa, was unexpectedly called home to be with the Lord. The so-called marriage I was in had completely and irreparably disintegrated.
Suddenly, I was alone with a house in foreclosure and forced to file bankruptcy. I was abandoned by friends and incomprehensibly written off by my very own family. Feeling completely isolated from those that claimed to love me, I was overwhelmed and felt I had no place to turn. It was all too much to handle. Why was I in this situation? What had I done to deserve life in such a lonely place? Bitter tears flowed like a river, as my heart cried out in pain.
And, then, I remembered the story of Esther.
Esther was a beautiful Jewish girl living in Babylon. An orphan, her cousin, Mordecai, adopted her. He provided the family that she never had, or in my case, had lost.
Unbeknownst to her, the entire Jewish race was in danger of being annihilated from the face of the earth. Why she seemed destined to lose her very heritage, until her life took an unexpected turn.
She was one of the virgins chosen to prepare for the possibility of one day becoming queen. In order to “compete,” she had to leave behind everyone and everything she had ever loved or known.
Thus, Esther was whisked away to be pampered and “made-over” for a period of one year preparing for the big contest.
What if the king were to break the long tradition of choosing a wife from one of the seven most important families in Persia? What if, he, instead, chose Esther to be his wife, and, thus, the queen?
I doubt seriously if Esther ever once considered this life for herself. Her wildest dreams could not have taken her down this path, on this journey.
Esther did go before the king. He did choose her as his wife. She did become queen.
Oh, but the story does not end here. It, is, actually, just beginning.
Queen Esther uncovers, with Mordecai’s help, a most insidious and diabolical plot to murder all of the Jews.
Concocted by the second most powerful man in the entire kingdom, the evil Haman’s intentions were shocking beyond belief. He was going to kill every Jew by hanging them, beginning with Mordecai.
Truly, she and her cousin were preparing to take some unprecedented risks.
These proposed actions were outrageously audacious for a seemingly insignificant young Jewish girl and her “family,” Mordecai.
Once again, Esther was in a dilemma. As queen, she could not go before the king without being summoned. In fact, if she did, it was possible that her “husband” would order her execution. But, the king had to be aware. To remain quiet was not an option for Queen Esther.
Cousin Mordecai was quick to point out this fact.
"For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)
I am convinced that Esther would never have pictured herself in such a circumstance, or entertain the slightest notion that she could hold the lives of the Jewish nation in her hands.
Was this the life she would have mapped out?
Unequivocally, I am convinced; her answer would have been “No.”
But, Esther did go before the king. She did warn him of his servant’s devious plot. She did choose to walk in the fullness for which she was created.
As a consequence, Haman was hung on the very gallows he had built to kill the Jews and Esther’s people were saved.
“For such a time as this?”
Perhaps, this same question is one that we ALL should ponder in our hearts and minds.
What if all of the circumstances in our lives are allowed by our Heavenly Father, Papa, to prepare us for some similar Esther-like mission? What if we are being “made over” to equip us for life’s difficult choices? Just maybe, Father God is growing our faith and maturing us to “Stand before the king?”
How do I know these things?
I am Esther.
I did lose everything. I was “adopted” into a family that Papa has chosen for me. I am standing before “the King,” ready and willing to do His bidding.
I know what it is like to have everything stripped away down to the core of my being and to leave everything familiar behind.
I do have a heart of compassion for others who may be struggling. I will reach out to them in love as an encourager.
With heart overflowing, I am here “For Such a Time as This.”
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