"For Such A Time As This"

 

Esther 4:10-16(NKJV)

10Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a command for Mordecai: 

11“All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days.” 

12So they told Mordecai Esther’s words.

13And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. 

14For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

15Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai: 

16“Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!”

For such a time as this.  Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you just get the feeling that God put you right there at that time for a reason?  Did you rise to the challenge when you found yourself in that position?  For me personally, sometimes I have, and sometimes I haven't . 

The frustrating thing for me when I fail is that it would have been so simple to succeed.  All I had to do is trust God.  But unfortunately, like Peter, my courage failed me with at that critical time.  The disappointing thing about it is that unlike Esther, my life wasn't at stake.  Heck the worst thing I was facing was maybe a little ridicule or rejection.

Here is my most recent failure.  I was flying home from Utah on Tuesday night.  When I got on the tram to go from one terminal to the next there was a woman sitting there who was crying.  I asked if she was OK and she said she was and thanked me for asking as she sat there and continued to cry.  I felt God telling me to ask her if it would be OK if I prayed for her.  But because I was afraid of looking or seeming weird I neglected to do it. 

We got off at the same stop and were headed the same way.  As I started up the escalator she turned and headed in a different direction.  I asked her again is she was sure she was OK and she said that she was but she sure didn't seem like it.  We are supposed to be the eyes and ears of Jesus.  I can't help but think that I could have been way more help an comfort to this woman. 

I think the answer for me personally is to remember to instantly act when God puts something on my heart like that.  Don't think about what I am going to say, etc.  Just act!  God has promised us that He will take care of what to say if we are just willing to be His helper!