For Such a Time as This

By Dean Collins

Nothing in our lives is wasted when we choose a path of obedience to God. Hopefully, that is an encouragement to someone today.

I read the book of Esther today. It is one of my favorite books of the Bible. Whether you know the whole story or not, you have likely heard this verse:

“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this.”

How many times have you heard someone suggest that you, or someone you know, or some leader in your community or church, is in the right position at a particular moment—for such a time as this?

I have written about Esther before, and I have preached sermons using this story. Usually, the focus is on Esther and how God led her into her position as queen of Persia. But as I read through the story today, it occurred to me that Mordecai was also in a situation where he was there for such a time as this.

In chapter 2, we gain important historical information about Mordecai. He had been carried into exile with other Jews. His genealogy is outlined in the opening verses. We learn that he was from the tribe of Benjamin and from the family line of Kish. Esther’s parents had died, and Mordecai, her older cousin, took responsibility for raising her. So, in these first few verses, we learn about a couple of different “such a time as this” moments.

Remember someone else who was a relative of Kish? King Saul.

And we might also remember that King Saul was commanded to destroy the Amalekites, including their king, Agag (see 1 Samuel 15). In Esther chapter 3, we meet a character named Haman. Guess what family line he is associated with? He is called an Agagite, connecting him in some way to Agag and the Amalekites.

The story of Esther does not spell out all of these connections for us, but it is interesting to consider that, within this larger “such a time as this” story, Mordecai may have been positioned to finish a job that King Saul had failed to complete. We discover more of this connection as the story unfolds.

And what about Mordecai stepping up to raise his young cousin?

If he had not been faithful to care for Esther and to honor his responsibility to his family, Esther might never have been in the position that ultimately resulted in the deliverance of the Jewish people from annihilation.

Read this wonderful book over the next few days, and you will be inspired to consider what God might be uniquely doing in your life to help another person—perhaps even to lead them to the life-giving moment of meeting Jesus.

The story of Esther spans years, and there were so many moments when Mordecai could have acted differently. Yet his faithfulness to God and to his family ultimately resulted in salvation, not only for his own family but for the Jewish people.

As I think about my opening sentence in this post, I am reminded of how important our daily obedience to Jesus really is. Time and time again, I have found God bringing together puzzle pieces from different chapters of my life. Some have come from seasons of brokenness, and others from seasons of flourishing. But when we submit our lives to God and ask him to accomplish his will in our lives, we just might find that, over and over again, he brings about moments when he uses us for “such a time as this.”

Father, today we surrender our will to you. We place our past and our present in your hands and trust you to use us to show Jesus to someone today through our words, our deeds, and even our proximity.

We surrender our tendency to want quick results in our service to others. Instead, we surrender to your timing and your ways of using us.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

Your Time with God’s Word
Esther 1-10 ESV

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