12 When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, 13 he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. 14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
Reflection
There is a famous moment in the Lord of the Rings series where Frodo Baggins laments the fact that the fate of the world rests in his little hands. He’s been given an nearly impossible task: to carry the Ring of Power many miles behind enemy lines to destroy it in the volcano where it was first formed. Unless he succeeds, evil will be victorious and all that is green and good in the world will be lost. “I wish the ring had never come to me,” he says. “I wish none of this had happened.” The wise wizard Gandalf replies: “So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”
Esther has similar feelings at a critical moment of her story. She’s aware that Haman plots a genocide against her people, but she feels powerless to stop it. In the passage above, Mordecai, her cousin and adoptive father, tells her that she can’t give up, and reminds her that she is uniquely positioned to be the difference-maker in this horrific situation. “Who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
Most of us would rather take the easy way out, to avoid controversy and trouble, to have peace. But there are moments when our voices and our actions can make the difference between people being safe and people getting hurt. That may seem dramatic, or a little farfetched. It’s true, we may not be called upon to save a life, but all of us face moments when by our choices, we have the ability to save someone’s dignity, spare someone’s feelings, or make sure someone is treated fairly.
None of us want to find ourselves with impossible choices or live in these difficult times. But we don’t get to choose when we’re born. Our time is now. All we can do is decide how to use the time given to us, trusting that wherever we find ourselves, God has placed us in that position for such a time as this.
by Joe Monahan
For Pondering and Prayer
Is it comforting to think that the timing of whatever challenge you’re facing might be God’s timing? Is it comforting to think that God had a hand in placing you in the midst of this challenge for a larger purpose? If you are struggling to see or understand it, ask the Spirit to reveal the larger purpose to you. It may take time, but keep praying and trusting God so that you can stay focused on what is God’s good and perfect will.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we sometimes wish that we didn’t have to face the challenges that have come our way. We wish we didn’t have to make hard decisions and hard choices. We wish that life were simpler and more peaceful. When we feel this, remind us again to seek your face and trust that you’ve placed us here at this time for your own purposes. Amen.
