It seems the most quoted words from the Book of Esther are these: "for such a time as this". But those aren't the words that speak the loudest to me. No, it's the words that were issued before these that would have moved me into action. When Mordecai said to his cousin, "if you remain silent, relief and deliverance will arise from another place". Not even the threatening words that followed, "and you will perish". No, it's the idea that I did not seize the opportunity when I had the chance; that my faith would refuse to act on behalf of the people I loved.
Would Esther's act involve courage? Certainly. Would it involve risk? Absolutely. Was humiliation and disgrace possible? Yes. But allowing those words to stifle her longing to deliver were more crippling than the possibility of the words that would break her body from the action.
Even though I've never been asked to do anything like what was asked of Esther, I believe I would have approached the king as well. I believe I would have moved. Why? Because I desperately want to be known as a faith-following doer; one who delivers and provides relief.
Esther was taken to the king's palace by her cousin Mordecai in order to suit herself into preparation for the king; a preparation that would hopefully draw the attention of the one who could make her queen. It wasn't her plan, it was Mordecai's. And after 10 months, she found favor and kindness from the king, and she became Queen Esther.
Had it been for such a time as this that drove her to request salvation for her people? Or that she wanted to be the one to bring relief and deliverance to the Jews? Or was it simply the fact that the one who had taken in this once-homeless-girl had asked this of her? It doesn't really matter which words prompted Esther into motion, all that matters is that Esther moved.
I think this is why I continue to go to the Shuar of Ecuador. I know that there is a missionary assigned to these people from the IMB, but I also know that these people are still not self-sufficient. They need people to live among them and become one of them; just like Jesus did for the people He made His own. No one is taking the gospel to 4 villages where I know there are no believers: no church; no gospel; no Bible.
It breaks my heart.
Maybe I can't speak their heart-language, or get to them because of the expense of travel, or convince my husband of 33 years to leave the United States and simply live among them in the Amazon jungle. But the thought of them perishing is a much more difficult pill to swallow than the one that says "it's impossible", so I keep praying for the opportunity to go back and at least show them the gospel that Jesus died to bring to them.
For me, it's not just such a time as this; it's every time. It's relief and deliverance for the people I love now, and I cannot take the chance of it possibly arising from another place. I want to be that place.
I am not a queen. I have no rights, no money, and no means of getting to them any time soon. But relief and deliverance are on my heart for them every single day, because they are my people. So for now, there are times of prayer and fasting; times of seeking my King for the deliverance of my people.
Esther's words before the king were, "How can I endure to see the calamity which will befall my people, and how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?" And the king granted the request of his queen. The Scripture says there was light and gladness and joy and honor for the Jews. And, there were many among the people of the land who became Jews. That's right! Conversions took place because relief and deliverance were sought after; because relief and deliverance came from "that place", and didn't wait for another.
It came from a woman who had the king's ear. It came from a woman of courage. She didn't wait for it to come from someone else, but she chose to let it come from a place where faith becomes an action.
Why? Because it was time.
