For Such a Time As This
I was asked recently to write a testimony for my Church newsletter, and while I have modified it a little bit, I decided that it was something that I wanted to share with you all...May you be blessed as you read. And may you all understand that every single one of us have a divine purpose given to us by God "for such a time as this" (Esther 4:14).
“You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find you in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand”
~Oceans (Where feet may fail) Hillsongs United~
One of my most favorite Biblical hero’s has always been
Queen Esther, for many reasons. The fact that she was both inwardly and
outwardly beautiful but strong in faith and full of courage has always drawn
me. Some of us are familiar with the story of Queen Esther. How Esther, a young
Jewish girl won the hearts of all whom she encountered including King Xerxes.
How she was named Queen after the previous queen was stripped of her royalty. And
how her faith in the Almighty God and her courage saved the Jewish nation from an
evil plot of genocide at the hands of King Xerxes second in command, Hamon. I
sometimes wonder about the rest of Esther’s story that we don’t know about. The
story of her life and the circumstances that she faced that formed this
courageous and selfless Queen that we read about today. You see, we all have a
story. Our lives today are a product of situations, circumstances, and
decisions made that mould us into the people we are today.
There have been specific moments and situations that I
can directly pinpoint throughout my life that have led me to the place in my
life journey that I am today. As a child, I was raised to know and love Jesus as
my personal Savior. But as we grow up, God places situations and
circumstances in our lives that will test our faith and separate our faith from
that of our parents and family. Situations that test what YOUR faith is made of.
Just over three years ago, I had come home to my parents
to stay. I was off work for an extended period because of a sickness in my body.
My husband was out of town on a short holiday with some friends, and my mom was
away visiting her family in Ontario. So for a few days it was just me and my
dad. Situations had arisen in my life that were causing me pain and testing my
faith. One night my dad and I decided to take our family dog out for a walk. As
we walked I began to share my heart with my dad. I was confused with where God
was leading my husband and me, and trying to trust God with all the unknowns
that we faced. My dad said something to me that night that I will never forget.
He looked me right in my eyes and said to me, “Ashley, you trust God no matter
what. No matter what comes your way, you trust God, even if it kills you, you
keep trusting God. Because in the end trusting God is all that matters”. I
wonder if my dad knew the impact that these words would have on my life. Or the
fact that he was speaking into the days ahead that I would face. These words
changed my life. Perhaps more so know as I reflect on my life, then the moment
my dad spoke them over me.
Queen
Esther knew about this kind of faith that my dad was talking about. That is why
she inspires me so much. In Esther 4:12-15, Esther’s father figure Mordecai
challenged her in the same way. Mordecai said to Esther “Do not think that
because you are in the Kings house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For
if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will
arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who
knows but that you have come to a royal position for such a time as this” (NIV).
Esther’s response is what stirs my heart. She says in return to Mordecai “Go, gather
together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for
three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is
done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish” (v.16).
Queen Esther was willing to give her life in attempt to save her people and to
fulfill God’s plan and calling for her life. She would do what was right and
leave the consequences with God. Esther would rather die, if need be, doing
what was right than remain silent in fear. This is the type of courage and
faith I strive to attain, and this is the depth of courage and faith that dad
was speaking into my life. It was this courage and faith that became vital for
me, as I sat beside my husband’s ICU bed short months later, completely broken,
and trying to understand why God would lead us to these circumstances in our lives.
There is one more reason that I love the story of Esther so much. The story of Esther speaks of God’s faithfulness. In Dr. Larry Crabb’s book 66 Love Letters, it say this. “I (God) wrote Esther to let you see that everything that happens in time is under My control. I allow nothing to happen that I cannot use for the good of My plan. How I use everything is not always obvious. That I do use everything is certain. I hate much that I see, much of what goes on grieves and saddens Me and tries my patience, but I use everything to further My purpose. What I cannot use I do not permit” (p.78). The fact that God can use my days of brokenness, that the countless tears that have fallen from my eyes will be turned to great moments of rejoicing have made all that I have experienced and all that I will experience worth it. We don’t always understand why situations that we encounter are happening, but God has promised that if they are happening he will use them for his glory. My life moments happened for a purpose. My husband’s illness, the death of people I have loved more than life, even the illness of both of my parents. Through these, I have become who I am. Today I am much stronger in my faith in God than I was three years ago. Today I have the courage to follow the path that God is leading me on. Today I am able to share my story with others. And today, I am able to speak into the lives of young men and women and speak into fruition who God is calling them to be. Just as my dad did for me.
Maybe right now you are reading this and thinking to yourself, but you have no idea what I have gone through. You have no idea what people have spoken to me or done to me...Your right, I don't. I mostly likely have never experienced many of the things that you have. But I want you to know that through all of your experiences, through my experiences, we have never for one moment experienced them alone. The Bible says “it is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with
you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed”
(Deuteronomy 31:8). The Bible also tells us about God's unwavering and unequivocal love for us. Romans 8:37-39 says "No, in all things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, not any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord". No matter what we have faced, no matter how horrible or painful, the reality is that we are loved by our Heavenly Father beyond words, beyond the reality that we know.
I want you to know, just as you are reading my testimony, that you have a testimony to share as well. Your life journey is probably different than mine, but the fact that God, through the situations and circumstances you have faced, is moulding you into the person He is calling you to be is truth. My challenge to you is to ask God how He desires to use you. Ask God how the situations and circumstances you have faced can be used to change the lives of others. I promise you He will answer…”But who knows, that you have come to this… position for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14, NIV).
Blessings,
Ashley.
I wanted to share with you one of my favorite songs that inspires me to be courageous, and to follow God's call on my life no matter where it leads me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy9nwe9_xzw
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