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Thoughts for a Woman's Heart |
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encouragement in things that matter |
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For Such a Time as This
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Esther was the young Jewish orphaned girl who was lovingly cared for by her doting uncle, Mordecai. She was also an exile in a pagan country ruled by authority figures who could easily be impulsive, guided only by their own whim and emotion. Through a series of events, she finds favor with the king, Ahasuerus, and becomes his queen. Mordecai is still watching over her, but from a distance. Within another series of events, Mordecai infuriates the king’s most powerful official, Haman. His anger is unleashed against Mordecai and against all of the Jewish people in a plot to kill every Jewish man, woman, and child living in the Persian empire. Mordecai appeals to Esther.
The words we so clearly remember that were spoken by Mordecai to his adopted daughter were, "Who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?" Today we could say that Esther’s rise to prominence was a fairytale come true, or, "It’s the stuff dreams are made of." In reality, it was neither. God had been orchestrating events from the beginning. The rest of the biblical book called by Esther’s name concludes the story that brings deliverance for her and for her people, and the conclusion begins with Esther’s acceptance of the place and the influence God had given her.
What about us? God has given each of us a place to serve Him, and a sphere of influence that comes because of it. You may be in a classroom, working in a medical facility, or in an office. You may be a wife, a mother, a grandmother, or a friend. You may be gifted musically, artistically, administratively, technologically, or intuitively. You may understand the pain of abandonment or separation, abuse or abortion, rejection or misunderstanding. Whoever you are, whatever you are able to do, whatever you are able to understand – it is God’s place for you, and it holds the potential for you to influence others. For such a time as this. Will the conclusion of your story bring deliverance for someone else?
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— Bev |
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