Purpose

Daily Gratitude Year 13 - Day 75: Today, I am grateful for a purpose.

Between Nehemiah and Job in the Bible is the Book of Esther. Head to your favorite Bible search resource and search for "God" or "Lord." Look for Esther. It is not there. I did the search. It is not there. It was hard for me to comprehend that a book so filled with God's provision does not even mention Him.

We are studying Esther right now in Sunday School. It has been quite interesting. It is one of my favorite books because of the reminder that God is always working behind the scenes, even when everything seems to be going wrong. It was a reminder that power, intrigue, and evil in the heart of humans is not anything new. It is a book of courage and laying down your life to save others. Esther... orphaned young and raised by her uncle Mordecai... found herself in the palace of a Persian king and chosen to be Queen. 

God was faithful, even when his people were not. Esther was born a few generations after Daniel, Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego. Descendants of Nebuchadnezzar were still in the palace. Time goes by and people forget history. They say that history is typically written by the winners. It might change the narrative. 

The Bible is different. It records the good, the bad, the ugly, and the extraordinary.  Dirty laundry is often aired. Moses had his great moments of leadership and times he really messed up. It is recorded. David's faithfulness and his sin are both recorded. Peter's denial of Christ is recorded. The biggest struggles of the early church was often the bickering and disagreements within the church, not the people trying to kill them for sharing the good news of Jesus. The funny thing is, when people were trying to kill them, they stopped thinking about their differences and came together. 

Yes, humans are complicated. Made in the image of God with free will is what makes humans different from the rest of creation. The free will that was given as a gift in hopes of a true friendship. When you can command the universe, what else is there? God created us for a relationship with Him. We have to choose him or reject him. We can run, but we cannot hide. It is the one decision that changes all of the others. The eternal soul has a destination that comes from a one major life choice. 

"But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”" -Joshua 24:15

The ultimate question is, "Who do you serve?" Esther made her decision. Her bold faith and courage saved her people. She was young, but her trust in God was big. Not because she had an easy life. She had loss, grief, and tough times. Still, she knew the intimacy of a relationship with the God of the Universe. She knew He was the One True God. She knew that men and women can be evil. She knew men and women who worshiped God with their whole hearts. 

If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” -Esther 4:14

One of my forever favorite songs is "Born for This" by Mandisa. I do not believe it was on the radio often, but it is still my favorite. It is about Esther. She may have not understood all of the pieces of the puzzle, but trusted God. She stepped out in courage and saved her people. 

Esther always inspires me. 

Today, I am grateful for a purpose.