{For Such A Time As This}

I am reminded daily that I am not in control and that God does have a perfect plan for my life. As I have been keeping up with my FB friends, it is hard for us to remember this when we are waiting on the Army to bring our spouses home; waiting on doctors to find out what is wrong with us; waiting for our homes to sell; waiting on a job to open up; waiting on time for little babies to be born to this world; waiting, waiting and more waiting….

I know I continue to reference this bible study by Beth Moore: Esther It's Tough Being A Woman but this is good stuff and she is a gifted writer…anyway. In Esther 4: 14 Mordecai is telling Esther some important words that will forever change her life! He says "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 royal position for such a time as this?" I can't say it better than Beth and I am not good at paraphrasing so this is what Beth continues to say on the matter. "Not only are you royalty but you have been placed in your sphere of influence, regardless of the size you perceive it to be. "for such a time as this." Ecclesiastes 3:2 tells us there is "a time to be born and a time to die." God cut out those exact perimeters for you and me on the kingdom calendar so that we would be positioned on earth right now. Likewise, Acts 17:26 tells us unflinchingly that God "determined the times set for [us] and the exact places that [we] should live." You see, even your current location is part of the set-up for your kingdom destiny." (pg. 97 Esther, It's Tough Being a Woman) Wow, if this does not hit your square in the face I don't know what will!

I am so reminded convicted each and every second that I am not in charge! God has a plan for my life and I need to "be still and know that I [He] am God." I must die to self everyday and remember that He will guide my steps. As Psalms 62: 7 clearly instructs me "My salvation and my honor depend on God, he is my mighty rock, my refuge." Sometimes we have no idea why we are going through certain problems but God knows. I received an email yesterday that depicted this perfectly. You see a man and many others carrying a cross and he is pleading with God to take the cross from him. So each time he is crying out to God, God cuts part of the bottom off the cross so it gets lighter and lighter. Once he gets to a canyon to cross, the others use their cross (since it is long enough) as a bridge to cross over but he cannot cross over because he continued to ask God to make his burden lighter. Sometimes we must bear the burden of our cross so that we may cross over the bridge to the other side. By going through the valley we are able to rise up and be stronger. Our witness becomes stronger each time we go through the valley and rise up victorious through Christ.

"We complain about the cross we bear but don't realize it is preparing us for the dip in the road that God can see and we can't. God promises you a safe landing not a calm passage."

"Who knows but that you have come to ________________ for such a time as this?"

Fill in the blank and just remember that God knows why you have come to this time. He will see you through to the other side.