For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
—Esther 4:14
There it is, one of the most quoted verses and message topics ever preached. Israel is in exile held under the rule of the Babylonian, or Medes and Persian rule. Death is imminent. You can hear Hamman’s hammer ring in construction of the hangman’s noose that awaits the house of Israel. It is here Mordecai makes the famous quote, “Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
If Esther was like most of the world today, she would not have had the courage to step up and take on the challenge. More likely than not, she would be standing in line for mental, physical, and spiritual help due to the fact she was an orphan. Too often, we disqualify ourselves based on our beginnings. It is not where you start that matters. It is where you end the journey that counts.
Because of Esther’s unwillingness to be stereotyped by uncontrollable life circumstances, deliverance came to Israel. You may not be able to change the whole world, but you can certainly affect the world around you. Don’t allow things out of your control to define who and what you are, nor what you accomplish.
Achievement is not based on where you start. Let it be determined by your faith, perseverance, and pursuit of the task you were called to do.
Our prayer for you this week: May you have the strength to not be defined by circumstances out of your control.
