Strategic Moments

Esther 4:7-17

Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this? (Esther 4:14)

“IF I HAD A HUNDRED LIVES, I would give them all to . . .” This quote has been said or written by numerous people who felt that they had found their true calling: missionaries who gave their all for the country of their service, pastors who loved the church or city where they ministered, creative or skilled workers who dedicated themselves to one activity their entire lives. The same sentiment could apply to people who devote themselves to a cause or to people who work to understand and make the most of their present times. In fact, understanding your time is a critical part of serving God. You were not born into this world randomly. God chose the seasons of your life and the people and places you intersect with. Whatever time you were born, you were born for “such a time as this.”

That famous line from the book of Esther fit the critical timing of Esther’s position as queen and as an undisclosed Jew in Persia, where a plot against the Jews had developed. As queen, she had the king’s ear—if he was open to listening. It was a scary moment but also a strategic one to save God’s people. She recognized the importance of her position in this foreign land when her foreignness put her at the intersection of the Jews and a dangerous Persian policy. Though Esther never mentioned God or insisted on following the ways of her people like Daniel did, she submitted herself to the historical moment arranged by the divine hand.

To serve God effectively, you will need to live with that perspective too. Your days may not look very strategic most of the time, but you don’t see the whole picture. You can trust the times and places God has given you, the gifts and interests he has blessed you with, and the lives your journey connects you with. You may have to read between the lines of your life to see him at times, just as we have to do with the book of Esther, but he is there. Use the influence you have, wherever you have it, whenever you can.

{Lord, I have been born into a strategic time, even when I don’t understand the strategy at work. Give me eyes to see, and move me into places of influence at the proper time. May I take full advantage of the critical moments of my life. Amen.