Esther
Leader Thoughts
For Such a Time as This
“Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews. For if you remain silent at this time, relief
and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” –
Esther 4:13-14
Many people quote Mordecai’s rebuke to Esther as a life-verse which is to represent prestige, power and favor. You’ll see shirts, hats, mugs and social media posts that proudly ring out, “for such a time as this.”
But few people truly connect the context of the verse with how they are using it. Esther was being scolded for her self-indulgent, self-preserving mindset. Esther was being reproofed for living large and embracing royalty over service. Through those telling words, Mordecai was reminding Esther that she had been chosen to set her own interests aside, let go of her own ambitions and face an enemy full-on. She was to risk her life and her legacy with no guarantees of a positive outcome. That’s the “for such a time as this” Esther was challenged to accept. And that’s the “for such a time as this” God also sets before you.
It is God who has given you your job, position, resources, education and more. It is God who has opened the opportunities for you to optimize for His kingdom purposes. He didn’t place you where you are so you could eat figs all day long or post pictures of yourself on social media. He’s placed you where you are because you are in the midst of a battle; a war. You are in the midst of a seismic conflict involving Good versus Evil.
To miss your kingdom assignment because you have become too caught up in your personal kingdom itself is the greatest tragedy you could ever face. An entire nation was grateful for how Esther responded to Mordecai’s rebuke. Their lives were spared. How many can be spared in the culture where we live today when we choose to step up to service, even if it involves sacrifice?
- Dr. Tony Evens
Home Group Guide
OPENING
If you had to put into a few sentences what you believe your purpose on Earth is what would you say? Has this purpose changed as you have gotten older?
SCRIPTURE
Say something like: This week we want to look at the life of Esther. Specifically, the thesis verse of maybe in whole book of Esther. “For such a time as this” is a phrase that many of you have heard if you have grown up in the church. We see the purpose that Esther was made queen by God is to help save the people. We want to examine our own life and realize that God maybe doing something in our life that may seem difficult now but has a great purpose. We can understand this purpose when we stop looking at the here and now and start to focus on above.
Read Esther Chapter 4
What can we learn about Mordecai’s faith from vs. 14? Do we show this type of faith when it comes to difficult situations we face?
Esther had been put into a place of influence for such a time as this. Has there been a time in your life that God had placed you in a situation that may not have made since in the moment but you can see the purpose now? Will you share this with us?
Read Colossians 3: 1-4
What does it mean for us to seek things above?
When we seek things above how might that change the way we see difficult situations we find ourselves in now?
APPLICATION
1. Are their situations happening in your life now that require you to put your trust in the Lord? What does that look like?
PRAYER
Spend sometime asking God to redirect our focus on heavenly things rather than Earthly things.
Children Conversation
How can we teach our children to put their faith and trust in Jesus when times are difficult? How can we model this trust in front of our children in a healthy way that may not scare them?