Encouraging Word

August 4, 2010

What time and place?

‘And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?’

Those words sound as if they are more fitting for a Churchillian character from history rather than you and I. Yet nothing could be further from the truth.

We find the words in the book of Esther (Esther 4:14). It’s a fascinating book. It has all the hallmarks of a cinema classic – from orphan to queen with a good dose of romance, treachery and intrigue thrown in the mix. You will find no reference to God’s name in Esther and yet God’s providential care is evident throughout. We see a young lady demonstrate enormous bravery and resolution of mind in being used of God to fulfill His purpose – ‘for such a time as this’.

What possible relevance has all this to me you might ask? “I can’t pay my mortgage”, “I have no job”, “my family is torn apart”, “I can’t see the wood for the trees”.

Here is the relevance:

God’s Word teaches that ‘He determines the times set for them and the exact places where they should live’ (Acts 17:26);

God’s Word teaches that as Christians, we are a ‘royal priesthood, a chosen people, a people belonging to God’ (1 Peter 2:9).

The question asked of a young queen 2500 years ago is equally relevant to you and I today.

‘And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?’

The Creator of the Universe has ordained that you and I should breathe life today. That is no accident. You and I have been chosen by The Creator of the Universe to fulfill our royal calling in the place we call home. That is no accident.

Is now such a time to set aside all of the excuses and take that calling seriously?

Is now such a time to step out of your comfort zone and teach at Grace Place, to start a home group, to say ‘yes’ to a mission trip, to say ‘no’ to sitting on your hands?

Is now such a time to share Christ with the person you work with, the family member you love or the neighbor you struggle to love?

God has determined the time you will live and the place you will live. That time and place is here and now. Will you embrace that truth and commit today to such a time as this? Will you serve Him today with the same unstinting commitment that we see in the life of Esther? Her prayerfully considered response is undoubtedly one of the most timeless, profound statements recorded anywhere in scripture: ‘If I perish, I perish’. What about you?

‘And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?’

Be blessed.

Paul Smith