For Such a Time as This: Embracing Your Divine Purpose

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Have you ever felt like God placed you exactly where you are for a specific purpose? Queen Esther's story offers a powerful blueprint for discovering your divine calling in the most unexpected circumstances.

From orphaned Jewish girl to Persian queen, Esther's journey reveals how God positions us strategically, often through painful circumstances we don't understand at the time. Her story particularly resonates for those feeling displaced, fearful, or uncertain about their purpose. What makes Esther's narrative so compelling is that while God's name never appears in the biblical book bearing her name, His sovereign hand orchestrates every detail behind the scenes.

When Esther finds herself in the palace after being taken from her home, she undergoes a year-long preparation period – six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics. This lengthy season of seemingly mundane preparation mirrors our own spiritual journeys where God often works in hidden ways, building our character before our calling becomes clear. As we follow Esther's progression from reluctance to bold courage, we discover a profound truth: "Courage isn't the absence of fear, it's obedience despite the fear."

The most pivotal moment comes when Mordecai challenges Esther with the immortal words, "Who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?" This question transcends time, challenging each of us to consider our divine positioning. What if your unique experiences – even the painful ones – have been preparing you for a God-ordained moment that requires your voice, your influence, your courage? Esther's response, "If I perish, I perish," demonstrates the surrendered heart God can use to change history.

Ready to discover your own "for such a time as this" moment? Subscribe to Divine Harmony Faith podcast for more biblical wisdom that connects ancient truth to your modern journey. God has positioned you with purpose – and your yes to Him will ripple into places you can't yet imagine.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
Welcome to Divine Harmony Faith, the podcast where
faith meets purpose andtogether we learn to walk boldly
in God's truth.
I'm your host, cliché Rice, andon today's episode we are
diving into the powerful,courageous and divinely
orchestrated story of QueenEsther, a young woman who risked
everything to stand in the gapfor her people and showed us

(00:30):
exactly what it means to say yesto God's call even when the
odds feel overwhelming.
So if you're tuning in today,whether you're driving, getting
home or getting your kidstogether for school sitting with
your journal or just needing aword, I want you to lean in,
open your heart, because I trulybelieve the Holy Spirit wants

(00:52):
to speak something fresh to youtoday through Esther's story.
You were born with purpose.
You were born for now, you wereborn for a time such as this,
so let's get into it.
So, guys, the story of Estherunfolds in the Old Testament in

(01:14):
the book named after her.
Esther.
It's a unique book.
You'll notice something rightaway.
The name of God is nevermentioned in this book, not even
once, but his presence and hisfingerprint is all over this
chapter.
So that reminds me of real lifesometimes, doesn't it?
Sometimes we don't see Godmentioned, or we don't even feel

(01:36):
him.
We don't hear him loudly, butif we slow down and pay
attention, his handprint is allover our story.
So maybe you're living througha chapter right now where you're
wondering God, where are you?
I want you to hear me.
He is present, he is active, heis moving behind the scenes,

(01:59):
even when it's not obvious.
So please, please, keep that inmind.
So, esther, guys, esther, sheoriginally was named Hadassah.
She was a young Jewish girlliving under Persian rule.
She had already endured so much, losing both of her parents.
She was raised by her oldercousin, mordecai.

(02:20):
Now, mordecai wasn't just adistant relative.
He stepped in as like a truefather figure.
He loved her, he protected her,he guided her.
And I know that sometimes wehave people also that maybe you
know someone stepped in whenlife left us vulnerable.
You know it might've been likea grandparent and on a mentor,
teacher you know something likethat or someone who saw you, who

(02:44):
loved you, who said you're mineto protect now and that's God's
provision right there, that'shis provision for us.
So, even in loss, god has, youknow, been setting Esther up for
something greater, and maybethat's true for you too, right?
Maybe what feels likeabandonment is actually
preparation for your assignment.

(03:05):
At this time, persia was ruledby a king, a man who loved to
throw grand parties.
This guy loved parties.
During one of his extravagantbanquets, he called for Queen
Vashti to parade herself beforehis guests, and she refused.
Now, hear me, vashti gets a lotof heat sometimes, but that's a

(03:26):
courage.
She stood up for her dignityand it cost her everything.
Her crown was stripped awaybecause she refused.
A search began across the empirefor beautiful young women to be
brought into the palace, andEsther was one of them.
So that's how she ended up inthe palace.
She was taken from her home,brought into a foreign place,

(03:47):
surrounded by strangers, forcedinto a process she didn't choose
, nor that she probablyunderstood.
Can you imagine the fear, theuncertainty, the grief that she
had to be feeling?
But right alongside that fearwas favor, because Esther
immediately gained favor withHaggai, the man overseeing the
women, and with those around her.

(04:09):
So she was different.
She was set apart, definitely,definitely set apart.
And I want to tell someonetoday favor will find you where
God has assigned you.
Ok.
Even if you feel unseen, evenif you feel displaced, even if
you feel unqualified, god'sfavor knows your name, ok.

(04:29):
So just remember that.
Because, just like Esther, shehad no idea what she was walking
into, but God, god's favor wasupon her.
She was looked at graciously byeveryone who was around her.
So before Esther could meet theking, she underwent a full year
of preparation.
So there was six months ofbeauty treatments with oils and

(04:50):
myrrh and six months withperfumes and cosmetics getting
her all ready to meet the king.
Now let's think about that Anentire year for one defining
moment.
A year that probably seemed solong to Esther.
It was probably repetitive,tedious routines for one

(05:11):
audience with the king toanother.
And isn't that just how Godworks sometimes?
Isn't that how he works?
Like we want stuff now, now,now, and three years later,
we're doing something that Godspoke to us about three years
before.
So a preparation season can bevery long, and they are long,

(05:33):
they're hidden, they're hard,but they're never wasted.
We have to remember that duringthe preparation season, that's
where we're being built up,that's where God is guiding us
and leading us into what he hasplanned for us.
But he has to build usspiritually, mentally,
physically to endure what hewants us to go through, and

(05:53):
that's what the preparationseason is for.
So some of you right now are inyour preparation season and it
feels like nothing is happening.
It feels like everyone else ismoving forward, while you're
just stuck oiling and perfumingand waiting for the king.
But listen, god is preparingyou for a moment.
Every late night you pray everyact of obedience no one else

(06:13):
sees, every sacrifice you makein secret.
It's all preparation.
So God is setting the stage notjust for your blessing, but for
your impact.
So whether Esther finally stoodbefore the king?
No-transcript.
He placed the royal crown onher head and made her queen.

(06:34):
She had favor with him wellbefore she finally stood in
front of him, but she still kepther Jewish identity hidden
because Mordecai had instructedher to do so.
Here's a word for somebody.
Sometimes your full identityand purpose won't be revealed
immediately.
Sometimes you have to move insilence until God says now,

(06:56):
obedience in the quiet placespositions you for victory in the
public ones.
So don't ever, ever feel likeyou know your obedience is
wasted or it's not being seen,because it's being seen by God

(07:17):
and you have to move in silencesometimes until he says now,
because you're in thepreparation season, so your
identity and purpose, it'll berevealed to you in due time,
when God says it's time rightNow.
Guess what, guys?
The plot thickens, so entersthis guy named Haman.
He was second in command to theking, a man full of pride and

(07:40):
arrogance.
Mordecai, being a faithful Jew,refused to bow down to Haman,
and that disrespect burned ahole in Haman's heart.
Now keep this in mind, guysHaman is not the king, and he is
so upset that Mordecai won'tbow down to him.
Rather than just punishingMordecai, haman hatched a much
deeper plan.
He convinced the king to sign adecree to wipe out all the Jews

(08:03):
in the empire.
Imagine that, like, you're justgoing to wipe out a whole
nation because you're mad thatone guy didn't bow down to you
all because of that one man'soffense.
Let's pause right here for asecond.
When pride goes unchecked, itbecomes destructive, not just to
ourselves, but to everyonearound us.
Maybe you've encountered aHaman spirit before.

(08:25):
Like I know, I have Someonewhose offense turns into an all
out assault, someone whoweaponizes their influence to
tear others down.
I have definitely experiencedthat.
But don't you worry, take heart, because God sees every plot,
every plan, every hidden agenda,and he uses it for your good.

(08:46):
So Mordecai responded to thisdecree the only way he knew how
through mourning and fasting andcrying out for help.
Through mourning and fastingand crying out for help.
And let's pause right there fora second, because Mordecai
responded to this injusticeagainst him and his people by
crying out for help and fasting,praying, talking to God, crying

(09:09):
out for help, fasting the waythat we should all respond to
situations in our lives.
He sent word to Esther beggingher to intervene.
But here's the thing, guysGoing before the king without an
invitation, even as queen,could mean death.
So just imagine how fearfulEsther had to be, or how

(09:31):
doubtful she was that she couldeven get it done Right.
Her fear gripped her.
Maybe you're facing a callingthat terrifies you too, a step
that feels so tricky and risky,a conversation too costly, a
decision too scary, and that'sokay.
Fear doesn't disqualify you.
It's what you do with the fearthat matters.

(09:52):
So Mordecai's message to Estheris one of the most iconic,
powerful words of faith we findin the scripture.
And he says to her in Esther4.14, if you remain silent at
this time, relief anddeliverance for the Jews will
arise from another place, butyou and your father's family

(10:13):
will perish.
But you and your father'sfamily will perish.
And who knows but that?
Who knows?
But that you have come to yourroyal position for such a time
as this?
And that's Esther 4.14.
For such a time as this.
Those words echo acrosscenturies.
What if you were born for thismoment?
What if your experiences, yourupbringing, your struggles, your

(10:36):
victories, all of it has beenpreparing you for something
bigger than you realize?
Esther's response with stunningbravery, she says to him and
this is in Esther 4.16, gogather all the Jews, fast for me
.
Don't even wait, do it realquick.

(10:56):
Do not eat or drink for threedays.
I and my attendants will fastas you do, and if I perish, I
perish.
Imagine that bravery.
I will go on your behalfbecause I'm called to and I'm

(11:19):
going to be obedient, even on todeath.
Wow, I only pray.
God gives me the courage andobedience that Esther has.
She didn't say she wasn'tafraid.
She said she said she would goanyway.
Courage isn't the absence offear, it's obedience despite the
fear.
Right Three days later, estherapproaches the king and the king

(11:40):
extended his golden sceptertowards her, signaling life.
That moment, right there.
That's favor meeting obedience.
But Esther doesn't beg.
Right away she invites the kingand Haman to a banquet and then
another.
She moves strategically,prayfully, boldly.

(12:01):
And at the second banquet,esther reveals the truth, one
that she's a Jew.
She's a Jew Not that she's aJewish, but she's a Jew.
Haman's plan would destroy herpeople and herself, and when she
did that, the king was furious.
Haman was terrified and God'sdivine justice rolled into

(12:21):
motion.
Because that's how our God is.
He shows up and shows out thevery gallows Haman built for
Mordecai to be hung from.
He was hung on them himself.
What the enemy meant for evil.
God turned around for good anda new decree was issued allowing
the Jews to defend themselves.
They did and they won.

(12:42):
Victory, joy, celebration,excitement, excitement.
So what does Esther's storyteach us today?
It teaches us that God uses theunlikely right.
Esther was an orphan.
She was a woman.
Back then, women weren'tallowed to speak up and do

(13:02):
things like this.
They had to be quiet in thebackground.
She was an exile in a foreignland, so she wasn't even from
Persia.
She was a Jew.
But guess what?
She was also.
She was positioned there by God.
She was covered by God.
She was empowered by God.
You may not have a crown on yourhead, but, hear me, you carry

(13:25):
the favor of heaven.
Remember that.
Walk in that you may feelunqualified, you may feel small,
you may feel afraid, but whenyou say yes to God, you step
into destiny.
What is God calling you tostand up for?
What bold step is he asking youto take?

(13:47):
Where is he asking you to riskit all for his glory?
Maybe your Esther moment isspeaking truth when it's
unpopular raising godly childrenin a chaotic world, launching
that ministry, starting thatbusiness, me starting this
podcast, stepping intoleadership.
You were born for such a timeas this.

(14:09):
As we close, I want you to knowyou are seen, you are known and
you are called.
The same God who put Esther'sstory out of pain, risk and
boldness is weaving yours rightnow.
Trust him, be courageous, sayyes, because your yes will

(14:35):
ripple into places you can'teven imagine yet.
Let's pray, father in heaven.
Thank you for Esther's story, areminder that even when we feel
invisible, lord God, you areworking, strengthening us to be
bold.
Help us to trust your timing,father God.

(14:57):
Equip us to stand firm in faitheven when fear tries to
paralyze us.
Lord Jesus, use our lives,father, for your glory, we
surrender it all to you InJesus' name, amen and amen.
I never want to take for grantedthat everyone listening today

(15:19):
knows Jesus.
You can be long before youbelieve, but I want to extend an
invitation for you topersonally know Jesus Christ.
If you haven't yet experiencedhis goodness and would like to,
I invite you to pray this prayerwith me.
Lord God, I am a sinner,forgive me.
Today, I repent and ask you tocome into my heart and my life,

(15:43):
turn me around and make me a newcreation.
If you have prayed that prayer,you are now a child of God.
I celebrate this step you'vetaken.
Now I encourage you to find aBible-based church that teaches
directly from Scripture.
Also, feel free to reach out tous at DivineHarmonyFaithcom.
We'd love to hear from you,answer any questions you may

(16:06):
have.
Pray for you and with you, you,and keep you encouraged.
We have awesome resourcesjournals and Bible studies and
things like that that you canaccess from the website.
So just go ahead and step outthere.
Reach out.
We have a community.
We are here for you, so welcomehome, as always.
If you enjoyed today's message,please don't forget to like,

(16:27):
share and subscribe so we cancontinue to like, share and
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Be blessed.
Know that I love you and, mostimportantly, god loves you.

(16:48):
Goodbye.
Know that I love you and, mostimportantly, god loves you.
Goodbye.