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?” ~Esther 4:14 This episode is about how all of your experiences up until this point may have all been in preparation for this exact moment. Music:"Adding the Sun" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Be Bold & Do It Anyway
Esther 4:14 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?”
I think we can all agree that the world is a pretty crazy place right now. In America, there is so much disagreement and arguing going on right now. I am not sure there has been a time when the country was more divided. Although, as I say that, I am reminded of the Civil War, and I think that was probably a time when this country was more divided. In the world, there are wars going on in several countries. There is famine; there are still 1 in 4 people who do not have access to safe drinking water. How is that possible with all the technology we have today?
Thinking about how crazy this world is can lead us into an emotional spiral, especially if we feel there is nothing we can do about it. I want to encourage you not to get stuck in negative thoughts and to watch less news if you find yourself starting to spiral or getting stuck in those negative thoughts. If you read the stories of the Saints, you will see that all of them mention how the times they are living are the worst that they have ever been. I think we all feel this way because we live in a broken world, and when we compare that to the world God wants us to be able to experience, we see such a stark contrast.
However, what if God has been preparing us for such a time? There is a story in the Bible about Esther. She was a young Jewish woman who found favor with the king and became the queen. Her uncle Mordecai adopted her as his own when she was young, as both parents died. Mordecai had told Esther before meeting the king not to reveal that she was Jewish, and she listened. This story tells about how a powerful vizier to the king, named Haman, wanted to kill all the Jews living in the Persian Empire in one day. He was angry because Mordecai refused to bow down to him. Mordecai explained he only bows down to God and this angered Haman—who told the king that there were people living throughout his kingdom that did not obey the same laws of the king and that he should not tolerate them. He convinced the king to issue a decree that would destroy the Jews, and upon doing so, Haman agreed to put ten thousand silver talents into the royal treasury. When the Jewish people heard, they went into mourning with prayer and fasting. Mordecai got word to Esther and explained the situation. He asked Esther to talk to her husband, the king, and beg for the lives of her people to be spared. Esther explained that if anyone goes in front of the king while he is in the inner courtroom without being summoned, they will suffer immediate death unless he offers them the end of the scepter. Mordecai wrote back the following in Esther 4:14: “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?”. Esther risked her life to go in front of the king, and because of her bravery, she saved her people, God’s people. We do not usually know why we end up where we end up or why we go through the things that we go through. God is a mystery, and only he knows what he is doing. He can see the whole picture: past, present, and future. We can only see the past and present. I once heard a quote that I liked and found comforting when I was going through some hard times. The quote said, “You were assigned this mountain to show others it can be moved.” I found it comforting to think that by making it through the situation, I would show others that they could make it through, too. I also used the quote in reverse and thought, “Ok, then I just need to look for someone who has made it through this type of situation to show me that I could make it through as well.” There is a song by Christina Perri that’s called "I Believe." In that song, she says, “I believe that you fell so that you would land next to me.” Have you ever been in a situation where you can tell God arranged it? Sometimes, we can tell what God is doing. Sometimes, we can feel it in our bones that we are exactly where we were meant to be at that precise moment. God placed us here in this moment, and what if everything we have done up to this moment has been getting us ready for whatever is going on in our lives right now? What if all the scripture readings we have done, bible studies and prayer groups we have attended, and all the praying we have done were specifically to help us get through these tough times? What if all those days at the gym, long walks, or yoga classes were to prepare us for the mental and physical challenges of these past few months? What if all the past experiences we have had with friends, families, and coworkers were to prepare us for this extraordinary time in history? Take a few minutes and think of all the experiences you have had in your life that have taught you persistence and resilience. Can you see how they may have prepared you for all of this? Consider your qualities, strengths, and what you have to offer in this difficult time. If God placed you here and made you exactly who you are for this time, why did he do this? What is it that you, with your unique background and experiences, can offer to others at this time? Maybe you are great at reaching out to people and making sure they are ok, or maybe you write great poetry that can help give people hope and make them smile right now. Maybe you are really great at praying for others and can hold us all in prayer right now. I don’t know what your circumstance is, but I do know that if we lean into God during this difficulty, he will lead us through it. Look at the circumstances the Israelites were facing when God led them out of Egypt. There are so many examples in the Bible of really hard times, yet God saved them when his people called. So, let’s call out for him, and while we are waiting, let us ask ourselves why God has put us here at such a time.
Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you bless everyone listening to this podcast. Lord, we thank you for making us who you made us to be. We thank you for all of the training you've given us up until this point in everything you help us to learn in the future. Lord, we ask that you show us what we are good at and what we can contribute in this difficult time. We ask that you be with everyone who is struggling right now. Lord, we ask that you give us the strength and perseverance to keep going. We ask that you show us those who have come before us they have overcome similar circumstances and give us the knowledge that we too can overcome them. Lord, you are amazing, and we're so very thankful for all you do for us. We love you, Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus's holy name, Amen.
Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. We are starting a new series in mentoring tonight, “For Such A Time As This.” Have you ever wondered why you had to go through the things you have had to go through? Why does God put you in certain places at certain times? Or in certain people’s lives at a certain time? We are going to explore that this month and see why God made us “For Such A Time As This” and what we have to bring to the table. I pray you will join us and see if mentoring is a good fit for you. I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day!
Today’s Word from the Lord was received in September 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today’s Word from the Lord is, “My little one. My children come and stay for just a short time only. I give you much to do, but I support you every step of the way. You are my mighty ones. I rely on you every day.”