Refer to slides for Observations of the passage and use it to read alongside below Interpretation/Application.
When I was in the first grade of elementary school, I remember being so excited about moving to a ‘big kid’ school. When my teacher called my first name and asked me what I was normally called, I suddenly felt scared of people making fun of my childhood nickname. Despite it being long, I finally decided to go about using my full first name. That is my first recollection of feeling so scared of admitting who I really am due to the fear of rejection.
When we look at the life of Esther, she was also once trapped in this kind of situation. Esther was among the Jews living in Persia, and she found favor with the king and became the queen. All this took place while Esther kept her Jewish identity secret. Esther had all the rights to be scared. She was to risk her life and her legacy with no guarantees of a positive outcome while having a choice to remain safe under the king’s mercy. When Esther was confronted with the reality that her own people would be executed, she was challenged by Mordecai to focus on God and His ability in providing greater relief and deliverance beyond herself but the other Jews. Mordecai asked Esther to set her own selfishness aside, let go of her own self-preserving mindset, and choose service of God and His people.
In verse 14, Mordecai also reminded Esther of her miraculous journey to the kingdom. They did not know why and how Esther ended up being in the kingdom, but God brought her nonetheless. Mordecai invited Esther to recall and remember God’s goodness in her life and asked her to respond out of that instead of her own efforts or an ideal circumstance. Esther was able to respond in humility and make courageous steps of faith regardless of what could have cost her because of what she had received from God.
Similarly, God also has set before us “for such a time as this”. He has given each of us family, friends, talents, job, position, resources, education, and more. Think about some past instances, opportunities, occasions, or unexpected interactions that God opened for you to experience and have shaped you into who you are now. Perhaps you have gone through certain kinds of seasons, challenges, or tragedies that are now enabling you to face your present moment. Do you believe that there is no such thing as a coincidence in God’s sovereign hand? Do you believe that you have always been in His careful plan for such a time as this?
Look around and do not miss the kingdom assignment because you have become too caught up in your personal kingdom or miseries. Instead, you may begin asking, “what can I do to be a witness – to bless and bring value to where I am now?”. You and I are commissioned by God to bring His kingdom to the places of our lives – “on earth as it is in heaven”. It might look different for each of us. It might look like inviting your stressed colleague to a lunch date. It might look like offering a hand to a friend struggling with their studies. If an entire nation was spared because of how Esther responded in obedience, how many souls can be spared where we live today when we choose to step up to service, even if it involves sacrifice?