For Such a Time as This

 

If you’ve grown up in the church, I’m sure you have heard the story of Esther and her cousin Mordecai. Things weren’t going so well for them; they were exiled Hebrews living in the land of Persia. The Queen displeased her husband by refusing to obey a ridiculous request he made of her. He banishes her from his kingdom. But not long after, he regrets his rash decision but knows he cannot go back on his word. The king holds a beauty pageant to select a new queen. Mordecai enters Esther into the contest. She wins and gains the favour of all in the palace. However, there is one man who is not especially fond of the Hebrews, so he connives to get King Xerxes to make a law allowing the people of Persia to knock off the Jews. What he doesn’t know is that the new Queen is a Jew. The King is not aware of this either.

When the edict is pronounced, Mordecai calls on Esther to go to the King and let him know what is going on. She doesn’t think it’s a great idea because the King hasn’t sent for her in a very long time. Her life could well be forfeit if she approaches the King and finds him in a foul mood and, on a whim, he decides he no longer likes her.

Here’s how Mordecai replies to her reluctance:

“Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: “Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”” (Esther 4:13–14, NLT)[emphasis mine]

Here's where I slip into a bit of eisegesis – reading into the text my own interpretation. Everyone who has ever lived, from the beginning of time until the present day, was born “for such a time as this”, at the time appointed by our Sovereign Creator. He knows what he’s doing.

Unlike Mordecai and Esther, we are not living as captives in a foreign land. I am speaking from a position of white privilege so that statement may not be true for all of you. For the past 80 years, give or take, we have existed in a carefree nation, in a golden era. We have been free to come and go as we please, we’ve had freedom of speech and religion, we have lived in a land of plenty. We have been lulled to sleep with our bellies full, tucked into warm beds. It’s beginning to get a little less comfortable than what we have grown accustomed to, so we cry, “FOUL!! This is not right! This is not fair! I have my rights!”

Did God get it wrong? Is he no longer in control? One thing is for sure, I am not in control and that bothers me sometimes. When things go well, I don’t really notice that I’m not in control because I’m fine. But when I’m not so fine anymore…well…there must be something I can do to bring back the “fine” again; something I can control.

What if we believed that we’re born “for such a time as this”? What if, as followers of Jesus Christ, God chose us to be alive during this uncertain time? Could it be that we are alive in this time so we can show the world what Jesus is like in the midst of chaos; that we can show others what unshakable hope in Christ looks like, even as democracy and carefree living is dissolving before our eyes?

Our kids and grandkids are watching. Our world is watching. What are they witnessing? Are they inspired to step into a relationship with the Guy we say we are named after?

My heart is breaking into tiny pieces as I hear about Christians who are faking their QR codes so they can go into places, or those who are badgering our public service workers when asked to don a mask while in their establishment. I read posts on social media tearing apart our government authorities. I hear the venom in the voices of people and see the hate in their eyes and I wonder if they have forgotten why they are here on this earth.

I understand the deep disappointment as we observe our freedoms dissipating. I grieve the loss of those precious golden years. Grieving our losses is okay; it is normal and even essential if we are to recover and heal. Have we put our hope in our government rather than our Sovereign God? Do we clamour and fight to ensure our freedom in this world is preserved? If this is the case, then we have erected and are worshiping a god other that YAHWEH. This is serious stuff!!

I’ve said it before, and I will keep saying it until I breathe my last breath: as children of the Most High God, the only right we have is to be called his children. That is the most amazing and profound blessing one could ever hope for or even imagine. The freedom we have is freedom from eternal death and separation from Father. We are totally free from having to pay the death penalty we deserve. There is no other freedom that even comes close to that.

So, what if we lose our religious freedom and we can no longer worship God openly? What if we are thrown in jail for declaring the truth of God’s Word? What if all our assets we’ve worked so hard for are all taken away? What if Canada becomes a dictatorial country? Will you still worship the One True God? Will I? If we cannot sacrifice the tiny bit of discomfort we are being asked to bear these days, I can’t see any hope in being able to bear the difficulties I see looming on the horizon.

What if this is all about character development and endurance building? What if this is a test to see how good we are at preferring one another, serving each other, and laying down our rights for the sake of those around us? What if it’s not so much about what we are doing as how we are doing it? As the people in our sphere of influence observe us, are they drawn to Jesus or repulsed by him? Are we passing the grade or flunking out?

People of God, our world is convulsing, eagerly awaiting the return of our King. Things will not get better – the last 80 plus years have been the best in Canadian history – they can’t help but get worse. We were never meant to get comfortable here in this world.

I have been born for such a time as this. What am I going to do with the time God gives me? He reminds me often that I am not in a battle against flesh and blood but against the dark spiritual forces in this world. I want to be among those who are standing in the fiery furnace, relaxing in the lion’s den, refusing to bend my knee to fear. I want to be one who keeps my face turned toward my Saviour because he is the one who will deliver his family at just the right time. I want to be counted among those who are known as warriors who trust their commander. It’s not my job to save the world – Jesus already did that. It’s not my job to protect our rights and freedoms – Jesus already did that too. It is my job to love God and love people. May He give me the grace to do that well; to do it until I draw my last breath.

 

PS If you have been appointed by God to address the leaders of our country, then I implore you to do so with utmost respect, to ask God to show you how he sees them and to treat them accordingly. May you walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, bringing His light into the darkness. If you are unable to proceed with God’s love flowing through you to them, then I ask that you remain at home until you can.