The Rise of Esther: “And when Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus…he loved her more than all the other women…so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen…” – Esther 2:16, 17

The Rise of Haman: “After these things Ahasuerus promoted Haman above all all his other officials…and Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.” – Esther 3:1, 6

The Wisdom of Mordecai: “Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, ‘Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this'” – Esther 4:13, 14

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be born in a different time and place? Whether reading stories of the Knights of Camelot or the wild west or watching movies of the roaring 20’s, we can find ourselves thinking, “I would have loved to live then”. When I was growing up I would put on my cowboy hat and my toy six-shooter and I was transported into the old West. I would play for hours pretending to round up cattle (our dogs) and defend my town (our backyard) from outlaws. Sometimes I would even think, “I wish I could have lived in that time.” What time period would you pick if you had the chance to pick your spot? Ancient Greece? The Old West? The Renaissance?

Of course, I was not born in the 1800’s contrary to what some might think : ) We were born in this time. In our journey through the Bible, the Book of Esther reveals to us another Truth about God that is very important to our understanding of the Scripture and our walk with Him…He has perfect timing! Esther was born at the exact time during the reign of Ahasuerus and she found herself in the right place…his palace…and appointed to the right position…Queen. Maybe there were days when Esther felt she wished she was born during “better” times when things were “better” for her and her people. But, it is through the words of her cousin Mordecai that she gains perspective and realizes that God had a “better” idea. Things were going according to His plan and according to His timing.

This is not only true for Esther, but also for you. You see, the Bible tells us that when God looked at the span of history from “the beginning” to the end, He placed you here, in the perfect place at the perfect time according to His perfect plan. In other words, after considering all the options, God decided that we should be right here…right now.

Yes, when God was creating you He searched time and saw a worldwide pandemic, political divisions, racial tensions apathy in our churches and said, “Perfect timing!” And He placed you here at this moment and in this place and for the purposes He designed you to do (Ephesians 2:10). There has never been nor will there ever be a time better suited for you and me than right here right now.

Because of our sinful condition there will always be the Haman’s of the world who want to persecute the people of God in order to advance their own prideful pursuits. There will always be pandemics, political unrest and division that challenge us to bring a godly perspective into such darkness. There will always be the temptation for the church to become comfortable and apathetic when we need to be boldly proclaiming the message of the Gospel to a misguided and lost world.

God placed you right here…right now…and He has “perfect timing”!