There was a young lady, so beautiful and young. She lived in a small town. One day word got to her home that the king wanted all the available young ladies to come to the kingdom; for they had an opportunity to become queen. She went and was chosen! She was queen. However, there was a corrupt man in the king's court. He actually got the king to make a decree that said all Jews would be killed. This would be a problem because the young lady was a Jew. But that wasn't all, if she went into the kings presence without him asking her, she had a chance to be killed. So she was going to be killed if she didn't go to him and she had a chance to be killed if she did; rough place to be. She fasted and prayed for three days. At the end of those three days she went to the king. She had favor with the king so he did not kill her. In the end the king found out what the man was doing and killed him. The Jewish people were saved.
In case you didn't know, this story is Esther's story. She was put in a position where she and her people were in danger. However she stepped out in faith and accomplished what she needed to. Although Esther was strong in character, that wasn't the part of the story that caught my eye and really rocked me spiritually (in a good way). Esther's cousin, Mordecai, actually told her "Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for such a time as this?"
For some reaso
n when I read that sentence I thought 'identity.' Identity is being who you are and no one else. Being at training camp I have learned what my identity is. I mean of course my identity is in Christ but beyond that. I believe in order to know your identity you need to know two things. 1. who you are and 2. Whose you are. Knowing who you are is to know that you are loved and have authority and honor and are worthy. Knowing Whose you are is to know that God created you for a specific purpose, for a specific calling but even something much simpler than that. He created you to love; to love and to be loved. It's just that simple. I wish I could put into words that moment when I got it. That moment that I realized I was worthy of such an action as Jesus dying on the cross. Talk about an "ah hah" moment. Lets just say I was on the ground and I had my very own lake of tears.
I believe that God put Esther in that situation "for such a time" as that. If she wasn't sure about her identity in Christ, I fully believe that the Jewish people, including Mordecai and herself, would have been killed. But Esther knew who God was and knew who she was in him. It is a great thing when you can realize that. I did and the filter of shame and confusion were removed. The hole that the shame and confusion filled is now filled with identity and worth. Identity and worth only defined by the love of God himself.
It is never too late to find yourself in Him. He has been here forever and He will continue to be here for the rest of eternity. Arms open wide, waiting. Are you willing to take the move, the step into His grasp?
