I exist for such a time as this

I was listening to a sermon podcast from my parent's church yesterday and something he said really struck me. I thought I would share it. Perhaps others think in the same messed up way that I do.

Esther 4:14

"For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"

Designed for Service

Bill Ewing 7/12/11, 28min in

"I want you to think about this. There was a Godly woman in the Bible. Her name was Esther. Esther was put into a tough situation. And in the midst of her situation, we’re not going to go into the story, she had an opportunity to go before a king and plead for her people. She makes a comment. And I want this to be kind of a comment of your life for this week, at least this day. I exist for such a time as this. Think of that. I want you to be able to say it to yourself. I exist for such a time as this. Now how was this made to put flesh on it in light of what we just did? #1 I understand what God did and lives in me and as God comes in me and inhabits me and lives through me then I am called for this purpose. Why am I here? I am here to love and to serve. I exist for such a time as this. You’re on your way home from work. Rough day. People didn’t appreciate you. You're coming home and you’ve just got a text from your wife. Things aren’t too good at home. Things aren’t happening well with the kids. There’s just been a fight. This is where the rubber hits the road. You pull over to the side of the road and you stop and you say, I exist for such a time as this. I was born to serve my wife. I was born to love her. This is why I live on this planet. You can make that true for every single time of your life. Every time something happens you’ve got now the opportunity to forgive because your spouse or your friend has just harmed you. People you were born for this moment. This is why you exist. I exist for such a moment as this: that I will be the loving extension of forgiveness to my spouse. This is the secret of serving. This is why you live. If you live in this, I promise you something by my own experience, occasionally, but by what I see in people’s lives, when you live fully aware of who you are, fully aware that you only have whatever God’s given you, and now you live to serve and now you live to love, you will live free, you will become all that you were intended to be, and you will live in your element."

I exist for just such a time as what's happening right now...

Esther did not have over-whelming proof of God's purpose for her and neither do I. I do not hear God's audible voice telling me just exactly what I should do and neither did she. She simply found herself in those circumstances. And she acted because it was God who put her there.

He is sovereign, after all. Even over me.

God has put me in this place. He brought Terry to me purposefully. He meant to give us the children we have. He meant for us to be living here, working here. He meant for me to be where I am in this day, right now. His will is now. I exist for such a time as right now in this very moment.

I have always thought pretty much the opposite: That I am not where God wills for me. That I have no purpose. That His will is a mystery, complicated and hard to find or figure out. That I will have no purpose until I can figure it out. Well, what if God's will for me is NOW? How freeing is that? I don't have to look further than what's happening in my life at this moment, even if it's not grandiose, like I always thought it had to be.

This gives more meaning to these verses that I've always loved, but had a hard time with since I didn't know what His plans and purposes were for me.

Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you..."

Ephesians 2:10

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God has prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

Proverbs 16:9

"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps."