Live Your Life With Purpose

"For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another [pace, but you and your father will perish. And who knows but that you were born for such a time as this." Esther 4:15.

 

Meet Queen Esther... Every time I read the story of Esther in the New Testament my respect and admiration grows for this Jewish Queen that lived in a time and place that hated her people, the Jewish people, God's chosen people.

 

Grab a cup of coffee and come along with me as we journey through Esther's story...

 

Esther was born in a time when Israel was in captivity as a consequence of their disobedience to God. When Esther's parents were killed, her cousin, Mordecai adopted her as a daughter. They were both Jews living in Persia, a country unfriendly to the Jewish people. King, Xerxes, known as Ahasuerus was the most powerful monarch who ruled the Persian Empire. He had a reckless and easily manipulated character. He had recently banished his wife, Queen Vashti for being disobedient. One day King Xerxes decided to find a new queen so he appointed agents inside the Provence to find a beautiful young maiden. Mordecai introduced his beautiful young cousin Esther without revealing her ethnic identity. Esther eventually found favor and won the heart of the King and she was selected to become the new queen of Persia.

 

Haman, a close confidant to King Xerxes had risen to the post of Prime Minister. He knew that Mordecai was Jewish and he hated him. So much that he manipulated King Xerxes into issuing a decree that would wipe out all the Jews in the Empire. Mordecai goes to Esther and tells her that because she has favor with the king, she is obligated to go to the king and present her plea for the Jewish people or they would all be annihilated. Esther is queen and yet she is still vulnerable because she is a Jew. Mordecai then tells her "If you keep silent and do nothing, our people will all be annihilated forever." She realizes what she must do will disclose her true identity. She simply says, "If I perish, I perish." Esther does save her people, she does so because she is stirred by an act of extraordinary of love.

 

Today, we live in a time of unrest and hostility. We wonder is it safe anymore? Are my loved one going to be okay? Like Esther, we were, "born for such a time as this." We were all created incredibly unique for this reason. There is so much need, so much heartache, so much injustices in the world today. We all have something that calls our hearts, that pulls at our heartstrings of our souls. That is a gift given to you for this very reason.

 

Wherever you live, wherever you find yourself, perhaps, this is your moment. Perhaps you are the chosen one of your generation. Perhaps this story of Esther will captivate your heart and soul. Think again about Esther, she didn't have it easy, you may not have it easy either. Se had amazing gifts, so do you. The heart of our story lies in these echoing words... "Perhaps you were born for such a time as this!" I pray you can echo this question in your heart. Live your life with purpose.

 

"For we are God's handiwork, created in Jesus Christ to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Ephesians 2:10.

 

Sweetest Blessings,

Jo