Why You Can Step Out in Faith
“And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14b
Did you know that God is not mentioned one time in the book of Esther? And yet, in its pages we read of an orphaned Jewish woman living in Persia who, chosen to be Queen, helps to thwart an evil plan to wipe out the Jews living in Persia. With odds like that stacked against her, our unlikely heroine sounds like she could exist in a Hollywood epic, not in the pages of biblical history.
But God is not afraid of using unlikely characters for the good of His children, and for His glory. His sovereignty is not to be underestimated.
Queen Esther is made aware of the evil plot crafted by Haman, one of her husband’s most trusted advisors, by her cousin Mordecai. Mordecai tells her, “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish” (4:13b-14a)
Why does Mordecai say to her that the Jews would be delivered in another way? He believed in God’s sovereignty and remembered the promises that God had made to his forefathers (Genesis 12:1-3, Jeremiah 31:35-37)—and also believed that it would not be beyond the reach of God to place Esther in a position to work out His plan, for such a time as this.
Esther was compelled to obey. Perhaps she was motivated by faith in God, or she reasoned that she would perish in the genocide anyways. At any rate, she was willing to die at least trying to save her people.
Though it is unlikely that you will ever be in a position where you must step out and risk your very life for someone else, there will be numerous times you have the opportunity to put your comfort and preferences aside for the welfare of others.
Fearing rejection, you may avoid sharing about your relationship with Jesus with a friend who does not believe in God. Or, an unexpected opportunity may leave you feeling overwhelmed by new responsibilities, and you are tempted to shut down or run away from them, not believing that there is purpose in your position.
Though God may seem far, consider this: He is there, working quietly to position you to be used for your good and His glory, for such a time as this.