For Such A Time As This

04 Mar For Such A Time As This

Read Esther 4 (NLT)
Thought for the Day: Perhaps you were made for just such a time as this?

Ida Lewis rescued four men from a capsized boat when she was 12 years old. For the remaining 57 years of her life, she kept Lime Rock Lighthouse in Newport, RI. Because of her efforts, she was credited with saving at least eighteen people from drowning. Her bravery became so well-known during the 19th Century that President Ulysses S. Grant took a trip to Rhode Island to thank her for her service. But, Ida Lewis neither sought out trouble nor dangerous rescues. Rather, growing up as the daughter of a lighthouse keeper, she realized that God put her in the right place at the right time. She described herself this way, “I ain’t particularly strong. The Lord Almighty gives me the strength when I need it, that’s all.”

Esther was a great heroine of the Old Testament. She was a young Jewish woman who became Queen of Persia. It was around the time she became queen that a man of influence named Haman plotted to kill all Jews living in Exile. Rather than staying silent and doing nothing, Esther courageously spoke up, revealed Haman’s plot, and saved the Jewish people. She was moved to action by the words of her cousin (Mordecai) who told her, “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?”

While it is easy to look at the struggles of today and feel a sense of helplessness, let’s remember that God is still in control. While we never look forward to facing difficult moments, we know that God will use even the most trying times for good. When life seems to make no sense, we simply need a new perspective. God has placed each of us in positions where we can make a difference. Each time a sailor in Newport Harbor faced danger, Ida Lewis knew she had been made lighthouse keeper for “just such a time as this”. Today let’s remember that God gives us the chance to step up and make a difference, even in the most difficult circumstances.

In Christ,
Pastors Stan and David