For Such A Time As This: Advent Dec. 18

“Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.”  Esther 4: 16 (NLT)

Esther.  Another story told about the life of a Hebrew woman.  This time a beautiful young woman, crowned to be queen.

I had to let this one sit for a while today.  It made me think about my perspective.  How I see myself, my situation in life.

Esther maybe thought she would be safe because she was in. She was on the inside looking out at the injustices of the world. No one in the palace knew her true identity.  She was the queen, she had some power.

 She was scared to die.  She was scared that the king would sentence her to death if she approached him.  When her people had already been sentenced to die.  But Mordecai tells her, 

“Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape.  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?”  -Esther 4: 13-14 (NIV)

I get scared to do things sometimes.  Let it be anyone else but me.  I'm fine here in my quiet, neat, little world.  Besides, what do I have to give?  Someone else surely is better at using their gifts than me.

Sometimes, I grudgingly admit I have some gifts, a few talents, a small amount of abilities inside this mediocre being of me.  But what can these gifts really bring to other people?  

To their full extent, I'm not sure, because I've never extended myself that far.  I've never had to go to the point of "if I must die, I must die."

"When you unwrap your worth in the Gift of Christ, you release your grip on all the other gifts.  You are loved and carried and secure, and what else do you need when you have Him?  You are free, free, to lavishly give away your gifts when all your value, worth, joy, and riches are in the greatest of gifts."  -Ann Voskamp, The Greatest Gift (p.181)

For such a time as this...

You have been given great gifts.  How will you use them to love and care for those in need?  To rescue those on the outside looking in?