Once, there was a young Jewish girl named Hadassah.
Her life was not easy. Her parents died and left her an orphan; her people had been conquered and carried captive into a foreign land where she lived with an older cousin who took her in.
Through an unlikely series of events she became the Queen of Persia.
She was known then as Esther and her life unfolded like a fairy tale.
Except it didn’t end with her becoming queen.
Being queen meant that she was in a position to act as a savior.
And being a savior, as it usually does, required great sacrifice.
She was to risk her life to seek an audience with the king and plead the cause of her people.
She must have been terrified for her life; perhaps she also felt inadequate to the great task and fearful of letting so many people down.
Her response was not to turn away, however. Not to run or hide or make excuses.
Instead, she turned to the only source she knew for strength and help greater than any earthly source.
She asked all of her people, including her (most likely, non-Jewish) handmaids to pray and fast to God.
And then she went to the king (see Esther 4:16, 5:1).
Looking back at her story, we can see that she was put into place by an all-knowing Father to do exactly what she did.
To save.
Because she sought His help, she was given the strength to do incredible things beyond her own power.
She was exactly where she needed to be ‘for such a time as this’ (Esther 4:14).
In her, we see the way the Lord works.
He prepares and puts into place plans and people to help save His children.
If we are responsive and rely on His power and strength, we, too, can be in places and situations ‘for such a time as this.’
Working with Him to bring others His light, grace and saving power.
In the process, like Queen Esther, we are changed and saved ourselves.
She found within herself a courage and desire, born of her faith and trust in her God, that allowed her to face uncertainty and daunting situations.
As she acted on that faith, she found that the Lord was with her.
And with Him, she did incredible things.
‘Is anything too hard for the Lord?’ (Genesis 18:14)
Not saving a people, or changing a heart, or healing a soul.
Not even using ordinary people to do amazing things.
She learned, in a very real way, that ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof’ (Psalm 46:1-3).
In all of our circumstances, He is the source of help and strength. The power to do the seemingly impossible.
He will prepare us in His own way and time for our own ‘such times.’
And in both the preparation and the execution, He will be our very present help; our refuge from fear and doubt; our strength.
Because He conquered all things in His own ‘such time,’ He can compassionately, wholly, and perfectly be with us in all times.
