A time such as this

I was thinking about Esther and how Mordecai told her that perhaps she'd come to be where she was then, "for such a time as this." Of course, Mordecai was saying that because he knew that God is sovereign and always in control. But you know, I think every single one of us could have that very same thing said about us right now. I think we were all born "for such a time as this." I think that's true for the very same reason Mordecai did, and while it's true of every individual all through history, it shouldn't make it mean any less to each of us.

What got me thinking about this is how Mordecai had to get his message to Esther. He had to use one of Esther's servants to give her a message. he couldn't tell her directly. We don't know hardly anything about this person, except that he was one of the King's eunuchs assigned to her and that his name was Hathach. Yet this one man was ultimately responsible for bearing important, life changing information between the only two people in the whole empire who held the salvation of the Jewish nation in their hands.

Realizing that, made me consider the many times throughout the bible that we're told nothing but the names of the people through who miracles were worked or great life changing events took place. Events that ultimately, changed the whole world, considering that we still study them today. Then, there's just as many times when we're told of the event, but not even told the name of the person who was the catalyst for it. Such as the boy who gave Jesus his fish and bread, or the little girl who was a servant and told Naaman to see the prophet, or the people who rescued Paul, putting him in a basket and lowering him over the wall in Damascus, or the men who cared so much they removed the roof so they could lower their friend down to be healed by Jesus, or even the man who gave Jesus and his disciples the use of his upper room that last night, and so many others.

If you're like me, you've probably asked the Lord what He can possibly use you for. I think we all ask that at some time or another, and often feel that because of our situation, or our age, or health, or something... that He can't use us at all. In fact, I'd be willing to bet, that every one of those people I just mentioned probably felt the very same way. Yet we know that God did use them, and used them for very, very important matters!

That brings us to today and you and me being alive for such a time as this. We're living in one of the few times of history that are of major interest. Those few times when everything changes. Like the time of Moses which began the age of the Law, and the time when Jesus was here of course and the start of the church, and the others in between and before Moses. There weren't very many, but each one was the end of one era and the beginning of another one. They were all times of great change and great turmoil because of that. For example, when Jesus was here during the last age, the age of the Law, His death and resurrection put an end to that age and began the age we live in now, the age of Grace. Each of these times are times we look back on and often say, "I would have loved to have been alive during that time!" We say that because we see the great things God did then, and don't pay much attention to all the turmoil, trials and hardships that were also happening at that time.

Today, right now, we are living in one of those times. But because we're living in it, we wouldn't think of "wishing" to live now. We're much to overcome by all the trials and hardships going on. So much so, just like the people who lived during the other transition times, that we can often miss the great things that God is doing. But people who will read of our time will one day say the same thing we have about those other times...that it must have been a fascinating time to live through!

Jesus will be coming for us soon. Regardless of the exact timing of the rapture, we are still in a time of transition between ages. We are living not only or not "just" during the end times, but in the last days of the end times! Compared to when Jesus was here before, I guess you could say it's about the time when our Lord died and rose again for us. Those were the last days of the Age of the Law and the church was born and the Age of Grace began a short time later. So we're very close to the time for the rapture to happen.

Back to the point now of being born for such a time as this. While we may not know how the Lord can use us personally, we can be assured that He is using us. This is one reason it's so very important for us to hold up and stand firm during trials, because we'll never know what small act or word we may say could be one that could change lives or even history. If you think about each of the people I mentioned, Naaman's little servant girl, the boy with the fish and bread, etc. (and I'm sure if we reflect on it a bit, we can come up with many more), I seriously doubt if any of them had a clue that what they did or said would be all that important. Or, even if important to the immediate people involved, I'm sure they never dreamed it would or even could, go beyond that.

We need to know from God's Word that we're each very important to Him, and loved greatly by Him, and that He not only can use us, but that He will use us! Instead of looking at our circumstances, age, health, gender, or whatever, we need to look up in faith that the God of all creation has a plan, and His plan includes using us. For He tells us straight out in His Word that He's planned things for us to do since before this world was created. He knew exactly who would give Jesus that fish and bread, etc, and He knows exactly what word or deed of ours will be responsible for changing lifes. He knows this because He caused each one of us to be born for such a time as this!

If you still need more confirmation about this, think of Esther during her time. When Mordecai told her that, she was sure that she couldn't do anything at all! After all, she was "just a woman" and was shut away in the harem without access to information or other people. The law was against her because no one was ever allowed to just show up in front of the King. Even her race and religion were against her. The officials of that time were against her because they were only going to do things that would ingratiate them to the King, they certainly didn't want to risk anything for her or anyone else. Even the King was against her in his general attitude toward women, for he saw them as nothing more then property and certainly didn't consider that they had any brains. What could she possibly do, besides perhaps pray? We all know what she did and how it turned out. She changed her world even though everything seemed to be against her. All because God was for her, and had a plan for her for such a time as that.

Just as God was for Esther, and each of the others we've spoken about, just as He had a plan for each of them in spite of their circumstances, so He has plans for us. Just as He placed them in specific times in history, so He has placed us during this time. Our time is the end of one age and the start of another. A time of great turmoil and change, but also a time that will work out for God's great glory and He chose us to be born for such a time as this!