For Such a Time As This
July 13, 2022 — Laura House
Every year Ecclesia School of the Arts offers a performance that tells the story of a biblical character or event which shares the gospel. Since the school was founded by our daughter, our family enjoys being involved in the behind-the-scenes details on the day of the show, getting a glimpse of the backstage excitement and joy. This year the ballet shared the story of Esther.
Weirdly enough, I had a dream last night about Esther. Yeah, I was her. My dreams are usually totally unrealistic and odd, and I usually don’t remember them the following day. But this time, I woke in the middle of the night and couldn’t fall back asleep. Contemplating the biblical account, I started thinking about Esther’s courage and thought about the courage needed to navigate earthly life, particularly when grieving.
In the morning, I grabbed my Bible and read the account, looking for details that I might not have seen before and hoping to learn more about Esther’s courage. If the story is unfamiliar, you should know that Esther is a Jew whose parents died, so she was raised by a relative, Mordecai. The abbreviated version of the story is that she was chosen to be the queen of the land, and subsequently risked her life to go before the king without being summoned. She revealed a plot to kill all of the Jewish people in the land, and the conspirators were held accountable.
As I searched for the source of her courage, I concluded that she likely wasn’t “naturally courageous.” I’m actually not sure that’s even a real thing. It seems to me that courage can be instilled through the way we are raised, fostered by spending time with a courageous mentor, and is often developed through adversity. Perhaps some of these influenced Esther. But I believe that the source of her courage, as she faced the prospect of death, came from another place. We can read her reply to Mordecai when he urged her to approach the king, reminding her that perhaps she was intended to become queen “for such a time as this.”
Esther responded, “Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.”
Esther’s faith in God was stronger than her fear.
Merriam-Webster defines courage as this: “the mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.” If you are a grieving parent, you’ll likely concur that simply living life takes courage right now. In the early months after Nathan died, going to work, fulfilling the requirements of daily life, or even being in a group of people, took more courage than I innately had. God was faithful to provide all that I needed to not only persevere but live with joy and purpose.
Where are you in your life today? Do you recognize that you are living in the exact time that God created you to be in? I encourage you to read the Book of Esther and contemplate your own life. Is there something that God wants you to do? Is your faith stronger than your fear? Perhaps you are also here “for such a time as this,” and He will provide the courage that you need.
I hope you’ll take a few moments to enjoy one of the scenes from the ESA performance and that it will inspire you as much as it did me.
(Be sure to watch to the very end of the video to not miss the important ending.)
"For Such a Time As This" song by Marty Goetz and Misha www.martygoetz.com www.itsmishamusic.com
