Are you a person who tends to pause before sharing opinions, or do you blurt out your thoughts before you know them yourself? When speaking truth into a difficult situation, it pays to choose words carefully before a big reveal. Timing is everything.

Queen Esther stepped into an extremely difficult situation. Her people faced genocide at the hands of a capricious king and his ruthless advisor. Her uncle encouraged her to go before the king, despite the risk to her life, and speak carefully chosen words of sanity. He told her, who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?

Esther moved with the attitude of if I perish, I perish. The king responded kindly and the massacre was averted. All because a quiet woman bravely stepped into her test of faith.

We all face for such a time as this moments. Where are we called to speak up? Where might I confront a petty tyrant, or solve a nagging problem, or address a wonderful opportunity?

To borrow from Esther’s example, maybe I work with a particular person for such a time as this? Maybe I live in my neighborhood for such a time as this? Maybe I’m sitting with a family member during the holidays for such a time as this? Where should I break my silence even when sharing brings risk, or the perishing of my reputation is a possibility?

I wonder, what for such a time as this moment might I face today?

Esther 4 in reading the Bible in 2023

Photo by Ashkan Forouzani