For such a time as what?

“Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, [and he said] …who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Esther 4:13-14 [KJV]

Someone recently shared a devotion with me about finding God’s purpose and fulfilment in different seasons of life. That’s interesting, I thought, I’ve had multiple conversations with different people about this topic recently. One girl told me she wondered if she was too comfortable where she was and needed something different to keep growing spiritually. Another woman spoke of her grief when a change in circumstances took away her key ministry opportunities. On two separate occasions, single girls spoke of their frustration at being described as career women, and wondered if God would ever give them their dream of being wives and mothers. And yet another girl commented that she had no idea where God wanted her to be in a year’s time.

None of these godly women were questioning the Bible’s general teaching on how Christians should live. We know God commands us to trust and obey Him (Proverbs 3:5-6, John 14:15), and that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). But, if we truly have a heart to seek God’s will, every Christian woman finds herself at some point saying, “Lord, now what? Why did You put me here? What is my purpose in life?” We say we will be happy doing whatever God wants. But we all hope He wants us to do life-saving (or at least life-changing), big-impact stuff.

Maybe this is why so many Christian women love the story of Queen Esther. On face value, Esther’s story seems like the ultimate rags-to-riches fairy tale: an orphan becomes a queen who bravely saves the lives of her people. On a deeper reading, despite never mentioning the name of God or the devil, it’s the story of the Lord working through human means to thwart Satan’s attempts to destroy the Jewish people. Here’s a very short summary. Esther is a Jewish orphan, raised by her older cousin Mordecai in Shushan (located in modern-day Iran) after the defeat and forcible displacement of the Jewish people (Esther 2:6-7). The Medo-Persian King Ahasuerus, unaware of Esther’s Jewish identity, crowns her as his queen. Meanwhile, Haman, second-in-command to the King, is infuriated by Mordecai’s refusal to bow down before him. Because he knows that Mordecai’s refusal to worship a man is intrinsically tied to his Jewish beliefs, Haman secures the king’s assent to slaughter all Jews in the empire.

In chapter 4, Mordecai contacts Esther, tells her of the new law, and instructs her to “make request before him [the king] for her people” (Esther 4:8b). Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Esther might be Queen in name, but she is just one of Ahasuerus’ many wives and concubines (Esther 2:14), and feels she has fallen out of favour (Esther 4:11). Secondly, the King is a merciless dictator with no regard for human life. He has consented willingly to Haman’s genocidal plans (Esther 3), and the law states that anyone, (yes, even his queen), who enters the inner court without approval, will be put to death unless the king holds out his golden sceptre (Esther 4:11). Thirdly, (see Daniel 6:15), the Medes and Persians refused to retract laws, meaning that Haman’s edict to kill the Jews could not be overridden, even by the King himself. But “Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:13-14). Ultimately, Esther approaches the king, survives, finds favour in his sight, and works with Mordecai to pass another law, giving the Jews the right to avenge themselves against their enemies. This day of deliverance is celebrated annually in the Jewish calendar as the Feast of Purim.

But how is the story of Esther relevant to 21st-century women? Well, it reminds us that we need the right perspective about God’s specific purpose and plan for our lives.

Firstly, let’s start with Mordecai’s challenge to Esther: “Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14b). It’s a rhetorical question; the implied answer is that God knows whether Esther can successfully intervene, even if Mordecai and Esther don’t. Isaiah 14:24 reminds us, “The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand.” God knows how He wants you to serve Him, and how He will make that happen. Sometimes we can become obsessed with identifying which calling, gifting or ministry best suits our talents. But God has many smaller purposes for our lives. He rewards all things done in His name (Mark 9:41). He has a different perspective on how things fit into his eternal plans than we do (Isaiah 55:8-9). He has different but important roles for a member of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12). God’s purpose for us may not be what we dreamt of, or the same as so-and-so’s, but it will always be “good, and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).

Esther’s story also highlights the importance of Godly counsel in helping us recognise God’s purpose for our lives. Mordecai’s counsel helped Esther in two ways: He enlightened her to the need, and he explained how she could help meet that need. Proverbs 19:20 tells us, “Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.” Over and over, I’ve been blessed and guided by the insight of people who have a passion for the things and people of God. When my pastor first suggested there was a need for devotionals for single women, I thought, no way! But this is blog post 43. I’ve heard and read so many stories of women who listened to the godly Mordecais that God placed in their lives. They were made aware of both big and little needs they didn’t realise existed. They were helped to see how God could use them to meet those needs, whether through prayer, giving, practical help or simply sending a word of encouragement to cheer a weary heart. Go, speak to the Mordecais in your life, remembering that “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise” (Proverbs 12:15).

Prayer is critical in understanding God’s will. Esther replies to Mordecai, “Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me …I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king…” (Esther 4:16). The word ‘prayer’ is not mentioned, but Biblical fasting is intrinsically associated with prayer (see, for example, Daniel 9:3, Luke 2:37, Acts 14:23). Esther clearly believed “The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will” (Proverbs 21:1). Let’s also not forget the Jews of Shushan and the palace maidens who fasted and prayed alongside Mordecai and Esther (Esther 4:16-17). Do we believe by faith that we – perhaps even through the means of praying – can be part of God’s purposes on earth? We might never be the front and centre person of some great work of God, but “.. the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers” (1 Peter 3:12a). Whether prayer is a means of finding God’s will, or whether we are called specifically to a ministry of prayer, pray on!

We also need to be women of action. Before God reveals His will, we need to commit to doing whatever it will be. When He reveals it, we must act in obedience. And after He has revealed it, we need to keep seeking His continued will for our lives. Esther willingly risked everything, including her own life, yet most of us aren’t willing to sacrifice our lives, let alone what people might think of us, or our financial security to do God’s will. Additionally, most people forget that Esther’s story continues. Her first appeal only succeeded in removing Haman (Esther 7). She had to appeal to the king a second time to save the Jewish people (Esther 8), and then in chapter 9, she writes letters to confirm the Jews should keep the feast of Purim. Whether we are young or old, whatever our season of life, God has something – often multiple things – for us to do. It doesn’t matter if we think we ‘peaked’ in the past or are waiting for some grand purpose to come along. Do what you know is His purpose for you today and trust Him to show you His purpose for tomorrow.

So, the next time you find yourself going, “Lord, now what? What is my purpose in life?”, remember these principles. God always knows what your specific purpose is, even if you don’t. Godly counsel can help us see both needs and how God can use us to fit those needs. Prayer helps us understand God’s will and can also be a calling. We need to act on what God tells us to do, confident that there will always be work for a woman of God to do. And one day, maybe on this earth, or maybe in eternity, we’ll finally recognise that God put us where He did “for such a time as this.”