I posted in my Facebook group the other day that one of the most quoted verses in Esther, and even all of the bible, is when Mordecai told Esther, “For such a time as this.”
That verse is wonderful, but there’s so much more surrounding it than just a time for us to rise up and do something great. There are also the words Esther spoke to Mordecai in response to that when she said, “If I perish, I perish.”
I believe there is a time for each and everyone of us. A time to stand for His truth, a time for trials, and a time of testing. Just like Ecclesiastes tells us .. there is a time and a season for every purpose under the heavens.
To say that you came for such a time as this means you were appointed by God for this season and time in history. It’s more than an opportunity … it’s a divine appointment you were destined for in order to leave a mark on the world.
I want to make three points in today’s short devotional. The first is that Esther kept her identity hidden.
Esther 2:20 says, ‘Esther had not yet made known her kindred or her people, even as Mordecai had commanded her; for Esther did what Mordecai told her as she had done when under his care.”
Mordecai was concerned about Esther disclosing her identity as a Jew. She lived amongst a godless nation, the Persians. It may put her in danger. What if she would no longer find favor with the king?
Many times we keep our identity hidden because we don’t want to draw attention to ourselves. It helps us remain neutral and sort of hidden in plain sight.
We don’t have to explain why we believe what we do. We don’t have to get caught up in defending the fact that we are God’s people and we stand for God’s truth.
We have to remember that Esther kept her identity hidden for years because it was easy to do. There wasn’t a threat to her beliefs. There wasn’t a threat to her life … she was the queen.
On the other hand, when things get harder and things happen that are in opposition with God’s word, it becomes more difficult to stay hidden. When life draws a line in the sand between morality and godlessness, we are forced to show where we stand and who we stand with.
And so …. the time came.
Hamaan, the king’s right hand man was upset with Mordecai because he would not bow before him. He then set out to destroy all of the Jews and the king signed the decree making Hamaan’s means of revenge law.
And when the time came, the only one who could do something about it was Esther. She was in a position to speak to the only man who could right this wrong but in order to do it, she had to expose herself.
And she was afraid. If she asked to see the king without him summoning her, she could die. It was a risk. A risk of her life. A risk of standing for truth and God’s people.
Mordecai said this to her in 3:13, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”
Listen to what Mordecai said to her:
- “By keeping your identity hidden, you will not escape.” If you are a Christian, a time is coming that you will have to stand for Truth. In many ways, the time is now.
- “If you remain silent, deliverance will come from someone else, but you will perish.” We think that if we remain silent, we’re not seen. God wants us to not only speak His word but live it. That is how the kingdom of God is advanced.
- “Who knows if you didn’t come to the palace for such a time as this.” Look around at the time we’re living in. As Christians, we must be God’s word in action. We must expose ourselves as Christian in this time.
What’s our response to ‘For such a time as this?’
In order to face our time, we have to be willing to risk it all. That’s a scary thought. Jesus said to count the cost of discipleship because there is a cost to following Him. He gave His life.
But, Mordecai said she would pay the price by staying silent. She would ultimately lose if she didn’t stand up and expose herself as a child of God by doing the right thing.
The greatest words in the book of Esther are, “If I perish, I perish’ (4:16). Because that must be our response when the time comes. There is no ‘For such a time as this’ without a ‘If I perish, I perish’ response.
And that’s exactly what Esther did. She went to the king not knowing if she would live or die. She had everyone she knew fasting and praying before the day she went before his throne.
And deliverance came to all of God’s people because Esther put her life on the line to fulfill the call God placed on her life for such a time as this.
Challenge
The world grows darker each day. This shouldn’t be a surprise. Paul told Timothy the last days would be some of the darkest there has ever been.
I used to ask God why He would choose me to live in these times. I’m weak, unsure, scared, and timid. But I have to trust that He knows what He’s doing and the times we live in is a divine appointment to stand for truth because it’s our time.
My challenge is that you pray and dig into God’s word daily. If you don’t have resources, check out shandafulbright.com/links or email me at hello@shandafulbright.com and I’ll send you some.
But, don’t hide who you are. You are a child of God in such a time as this and you are called to speak His word … no matter the risk.
To listen to this week’s podcast episode, click here.
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