Was talk with someone the other day about books on leadership and they handed me John Maxwell’s Running with the Giants to pass on to another friend. The other morning I just opened it up to quickly flick through its pages and this quote struck me.
“No place is out of place when you’re in God’s place”
This was found in a chapter about Esther. So as intrigued as I was I decided to read further and reflect on the story of Esther. She had some serious “out-of-comfort-zone” existence. First she was an orphan and was raised by her cousin (Esther 2:7), so I am sure there were many times she felt she didn’t belong. She was a Jew, but not only that a Jew in exile in a foreign land with strange traditions and practises. She was also serving in cross-cultural ministry. Then she was thrust into the king’s court because of her beauty and selected to be the next queen. I can just imagine how she felt, insignificate, tossed, around, uncomfortable and powerless.
But later in the book of Esther we discover what God’s place was for Esther. The reason why she was placed outside her comfort zone was all part of God’s great plan. He was moulding and stretching this simple parentless Jewish girl to be a courageous Queen willing to put her life at great risk for her people.
It’s the words of cousin Mordecai that also touched my heart and gave me hope just like they would have given hope and courage to Esther so many years before. He said “…And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14b
Who knows why we go through unpleasant circumstances and have times when we feel completely out of place – the only one who can answer that is God. We can have no understanding of what is going on around us, feeling powerless, worthless and insignificant – but God has it all together. He knows the big picture and has perfect reasoning behind that mess you have to travel through.
Instead of feeling out of place we are called to remember that we are in God’s place, that he has placed each of us in this position for such a time as this. When we realise God has a purpose for us we feel greatly empowered to serve Him and live out His will - even to take great risks - because we know God is ultimately in control.
