Esther
And who knoweth whether
thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Esther 4:14
A certain day was appointed on which the
Jews were to be destroyed and their property confiscated. Little did the king
realize the far-reaching results that would have accompanied the complete
carrying out of this decree. Satan himself, the hidden instigator of the
scheme, was trying to rid the earth of those who preserved the knowledge of the
true God. . . .
But the plots of the enemy were defeated
by a Power that reigns among the children of men. In the providence of God,
Esther, a Jewess who feared the Most High, had been made queen of the
Medo-Persian kingdom. Mordecai was a near relative of hers. In their extremity
they decided to appeal to Xerxes in behalf of their people. Esther was to
venture into his presence as an intercessor. "Who knoweth," said
Mordecai, "whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as
this?"
The crisis that Esther faced demanded
quick, earnest action; but both she and Mordecai realized that unless God
should work mightily in their behalf, their own efforts would be unavailing. So
Esther took time for communion with God, the source of her strength.
"Go," she directed Mordecai, "gather together all the Jews that
are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three
days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go
in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I
perish."
To every household and every school, to
every parent, teacher, and child upon whom has shone the light of the gospel,
comes at this crisis the question put to Esther the queen at that momentous
crisis in Israel's history, "Who knoweth whether thou art come to
the kingdom for such a time as this?"
From My Life Today - Page 69
