Why am I Here?
Esther 4:14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
Esther 4:14(MSG) If you persist in staying silent at a time like this, help and deliverance will arrive for the Jews from someplace else; but you and your family will be wiped out. Who knows? Maybe you were made queen for just such a time as this.”
Esther 4:14(GNT) If you keep quiet at a time like this, help will come from heaven to the Jews, and they will be saved, but you will die and your father’s family will come to an end. Yet who knows—maybe it was for a time like this that you were made queen!”
Esther 4:14(NLT) If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. What’s more, who can say but that you have been elevated to the palace for just such a time as this?”
Introduction: Welcome to the Speaking Scriptures as we hear from the Resurrection and the Life.
🙏 We shall receive Life with our household as Scriptures speak into our lives in Jesus name.
▶️ Reading through our text today posed a question in my heart; Why am I Here?. This is food for thought to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives.
🛑 Israelites needed to be delivered from death and Modecai sent message to Esther in the Palace to approach her husband, the king and appeal on behalf of her people set to be destroyed by decree that Haman made the king to sign.
👉 Esther had genuine reason to refuse the request of Modecai. Hear her reply to Modecai her uncle;
Esther 4:11(NLT) “The whole world knows that anyone who appears before the king in his inner court without being invited is doomed to die unless the king holds out his gold scepter. And the king has not called for me to come to him in more than a month.”
▶️ Modecai’s reply to Esther’s excuse for refusal to meet the king on behalf of her people is our focal point this week.
Esther 4:13-14 (NLT) Mordecai sent back this reply to Esther: “Don’t think for a moment that you will escape there in the palace when all other Jews are killed. If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. What’s more, who can say but that you have been elevated to the palace for just such a time as this?”
❓The question is Why am I Here?, what is the purpose for that elevation to this position? What is the purpose for favour received in getting to that position among several people?
To put all these questions in one perspective, what is the purpose of our existence when we survived among other competing spermatozoa to fertilise the egg from our mother’s ovary?
Jeremiah 1:5(MSG) “Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you: A prophet to the nations—that’s what I had in mind for you.”
🛑 Nothing is received without God.
John 3:27(GNT) John answered, “No one can have anything unless God gives it.
John 3:27(MSG) John answered, “It’s not possible for a person to succeed–without heaven’s help.
🛑 Whatever we become in this world has its time and purpose in God’s agenda. Closer walk with God reveals why we are where we are. Everything Has Its Time.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:
▶️ It is true that most often than not, once Christians are elevated to a higher position of authority, they forget God and how they got there. Most times they ascribe their success to their wisdom and whom they know.
▶️ There are many young and more beautiful virgins in Shushan that contested to be king’s wife.
❓Why was Esther a slave chosen?
👉 God who sees the end from the beginning granted favour to Esther.
❓After your elevation that gives you opportunity to influence your highly placed boss into the light of the Gospel of Christ, are you in silence mode to avoid; loss of lucrative job, ridicule or loss of your life as the case of Esther?
👂Hear the Master Himself;
Luke 14:26(NLT)) “If you want to be my follower you must love me more than your own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, more than your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple.
❓Do you love your job, business, position, power, money and other ephemera things of this world more than God?
▶️ After the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, Peter and others forgot about the purpose of their calling and went back to business of fishing but they caught NOTHING. Jesus Christ appeared to them in resurrected body and told them the right side to get fishes. As they were eating with Christ, He asked Peter a vital question three times.
John 21:15-17 (NLT) After breakfast Jesus said to Simon Peter, ” Simon son of John, do you love me more than these? ” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.” ” Then feed my lambs, ” Jesus told him. Jesus repeated the question: ” Simon son of John, do you love me? ” “Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.” ” Then take care of my sheep, ” Jesus said. Once more he asked him, ” Simon son of John, do you love me? ” Peter was grieved that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know I love you.” Jesus said, ” Then feed my sheep.
🛑 Jesus Christ is also asking us if we love him more than our family, job, businesses, position, power, money and other ephemera things of this world.
▶️ Modecai told Esther who had started enjoying the paraphernalia of office as a queen of the most powerful king;
Esther 4:14b(NLT) What’s more, who can say but that you have been elevated to the palace for just such a time as this?”
🛑 In other words, Esther became queen for just a time as this to save her people from destruction.
▶️ After Modecai’s reply, Esther would have asked herself; “Why am I Here?”.
🛑 Her answer made her to go back to the God of Israel with determination to face any consequences.
Esther 4:15-16(NLT) Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: “Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I am willing to die.”
❓”Why am I Here?” Why are you there? Am I better than anyone else, what do I have that God hasn’t given?
1 Corinthians 4:7 What makes you better than anyone else? What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if all you have is from God, why boast as though you have accomplished something on your own?
🛑 Sincere and realistic answers to these questions will make Believers to stay on the narrow path to eternal life with God.
❓Do you know that whatever we become is by the Grace of God?
🛑 Turning this Grace into lasciviousness will be living a life of vanity.
1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
❓Do you know it is when you understand Why am I Here? that will erase bitterness and hurt you passed through in the hands of men before getting to that exalted position? Joseph knew why he was in Egypt.
🦻🏿 Hear what Joseph told his murderous brothers;
Genesis 45:4-5;7-8 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
▶️ David knew there was a cause for which he found himself in the battlefield against Goliath. Despite his eldest brother’s anger with derogatory words against David, probably because Eliab was rejected to be king but David was chosen in his stead. David raised a question for Eliab and disregarded him;
1 Samuel 17:29 And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?
👉 David eventually delivered Israel from Goliath and Philistines that tormented them which was the cause for appearing in the battlefield.
✍ Finally brethren, there is a cause for your existence and where you are. Nehemiah did not continue in the comfort of the palace but his mind was at Judah to rebuild the ruined walls. He knew God put him to serve the king for the purpose of rebuilding the dwelling place of God’s people.
Nehemiah 2:1-5(NLT) Early the following spring, during the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign, I was serving the king his wine. I had never appeared sad in his presence before this time. So the king asked me, “Why are you so sad? You aren’t sick, are you? You look like a man with deep troubles.” Then I was badly frightened, but I replied, “Long live the king! Why shouldn’t I be sad? For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins, and the gates have been burned down.” The king asked, “Well, how can I help you?” With a prayer to the God of heaven, I replied, “If it please Your Majesty and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send me to Judah to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried.”
🛑 As we continue our journey towards eternity with God, let us always ask ourselves; Why am I Here?
🔹 Correct answer will make us fulfill our purpose for existence.
⚠️ Remember, God will always have alternative if we neglect the purpose of our calling. Plans of God cannot be thwarted by anyone.
Esther 4:14a(NLT) If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die.
✋ Maranatha