Purpose in Unexpected Circumstances

Speaker 1 0:00

Hello everybody, welcome back to the Bible Breakdown podcast with your host, pastor Brandon. Today, esther, chapter four, and today's title is You're Alive for a Reason. You're alive for a reason. We're going to get into that in just a moment. This is an amazing chapter in the entire story of Esther, but before, make sure, as always, if you like what we're doing here, you like, share and subscribe to YouTube channel and the podcast. Make sure you're leaving us a five-star review it really does help and also make sure you're gathering with us at the Bible Breakdown Discussion on Facebook. The more we dig, the more we find, and we have heard from some of you who recently have said that you don't really do Facebook anymore and so you want to know a way we can still get this, and so we are working on some different ideas so that you can still access the group. If you're not necessarily, or at least see it. If you're not necessarily in the group, we're working on some different ideas. We'll get there soon. So just stay with us and make sure you're continuing to read God's Word with us and we're going to continue to build this community together.

Speaker 1 0:54

Okay, if you have your Bible and open up with me to Esther, chapter 4, remember, the overall theme is God uses a mess to make something beautiful. We've been seeing over the course of the past several chapters God's got a lot to work with. There's just a mess. Esther, chapter 1, we look at how poor Vashti she lost being a queen for horrible reasons Just a mess. And then chapter 2, esther her real name is Hadassah. She became queen for a horrible situation. What a mess. And then yesterday, esther, chapter four, we'd see this horrible guy named Haman, who's just a wreck of a human being. And God's just got all this mess to make something beautiful. And now we can see where things are going to start to turn just a little bit. Remember, yesterday there was this horrible situation where Esther and she may or may not know about it yet, but Haman has said that he is not just going to kill Mordecai, but he's going to kill everybody. Every Jewish person is going to die. What are we going to do? Well, it just so happens that when this is about to happen and everybody's going to die, god has somebody at the right place, perfectly positioned to be able to help. We're going to read this chapter and we're going to die. God has somebody at the right place, perfectly positioned to be able to help. We're going to read this chapter. We're going to see how maybe God may speak to us today as well. You ready? Esther.

Speaker 1 2:12

Chapter four, verse one, says this when Mordecai learned about all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on burlap and ashes and went into the city, crying with loud and bitter wail. He went as far as the gate of the palace, for no one was allowed to enter the palace gate while wearing clothes of mourning. And as the news of the king's decree reached all the provinces, there was great mourning among the Jews. They fasted, wept and wailed, and many people lay in burlap and ashes. When Queen Esther's maids and eunuchs came and told her about Mordecai, she was deeply distressed. She sent clothing to him to replace the burlap, but he refused it. Then Esther sent for Hattash, one of the king's eunuchs who had been appointed as her attendant. She ordered him to go to Mordecai and to find out what was troubling him and why she was in mourning.

Speaker 1 3:04

So Hatash went out to Mordecai in the square in front of the palace gate. Mordecai told him the whole story, including the exact amount of money that Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews. Mordecai gave Hatash a copy of the decree issued in Susa that called for the death of the Jews. He asked Hatash to show it to Esther and to explain the situation to her. He also asked Hatash to direct her to go to the king and to beg for mercy and plead for her people. So Hatash returned to Esther with Mordecai's message. Then Esther told Hatash to go back and relay this message to Mordecai.

Speaker 1 3:45

All the king's officials, even the people in the provinces, know that anyone who appears before the king in his inner court without being invited is doomed to die, unless the king holds out the gold scepter. And the king has not called for me to come to him in 30 days. So Hatash gave Esther's message to Mordecai. Mordecai sent this reply to Esther. Don't think for a moment that because you're in the palace, you will escape with all the other Jews who are killed. If you keep quiet at this time, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows, if perhaps you were made queen for such a time as this? Wow, 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 to see the king, and if I must die, I must die.

Speaker 1 4:48

So Mordecai went away and did everything that Esther had ordered him. Wow, can you imagine this moment? What she was saying was is the king had this special decree that you couldn't come into his courtroom unless that he wanted you there. And then, if you showed up without being summoned, unless he raised the gold scepter, which means you were welcome to come, you would be killed, you would be banished from his presence. And so not only was it a gamble to even show up, but it was a gamble to show up uninvited. And so not only was it a gamble to even show up, but it was a gamble to show up uninvited. And so she was like just being there, I could be killed.

Speaker 1 5:23

And Mordecai was like you're right, it's hard, it's difficult, it's a difficult decision. You shouldn't even be there, but you are. And if you don't show courage, god's going to raise up somebody else. God's going to get done what he needs to get done. But what if you were where you are for a reason? Wow, and she took it. She took the challenge. She said all right, go tell everybody to fast and pray. I'm going to do it. If I die, I die. What courage. She didn't even want to be there. She wasn't supposed to be there. It was a bad situation that put her in that position and that was the exact position she needed to be in to make a difference.

Speaker 1 6:01

Can I tell you? That's the story of so many of us, so many of us. We are not where we thought we would be, are we? We had no idea. Maybe it wasn't a bad thing, it's just unexpected. I had no idea I'd live where I live. I had no idea I'd live where I live. I had no idea to do the job I would do. I have no idea I'd marry who I married or did not be married, or to have the kids or to not have the kids, or to have just our life was not what we had planned.

Speaker 1 6:25

Some of us, it was wonderful. It turned out better than we could have hoped. Some of us, the exact opposite story. There are things I wish weren't so, but they are. We can look at our life and we go God, why me, why this, why would you, how could you? Or we can go God, I know that you're in control. I know that you have a plan. So, instead of why, I want to ask God what? What is it you have positioned me here to do? What is it I can do to serve you in this season, right now? That's exactly what Esther saw. I don't want to be here, but I'm here, thank goodness. It turned out better than I could have hoped for. I don't have to see the king. I haven't even seen him in 30 days. But, wow, now I see why I'm here.

Speaker 1 7:12

Do you know what I think is going to happen in your life? I know it's happened in my life over and over again. I've been in times when I've been in situations I didn't want to be in. I've been in seasons I didn't want to be in and then I look around and go, oh, now I know I really would rather not be here, but now I know what I got to do. I think it's going to happen in your life.

Speaker 1 7:32

When I was younger, I needed to get a new job and I went to go to this new job and I did not want to be there, I didn't want this job, but I needed to support my family. And so I go to work at this place and I, man, when I tell you I did not want to be there, I did not want to be there, I wasn, I would pray on the way to work and I would say, god, I don't want to be here. God, why am I here? Why have you put me here? You know this kind of stuff. I just did not want to be there.

Speaker 1 8:06

And one day, while I was there, just just sulking I mean just sulking A guy came up to me and we started having conversation. And as we started having a conversation, I learned that this particular person had been a pastor and some bad things had happened and he was brokenhearted and he was beaten up over stuff that happened and he had all but lost his faith in God. And I've been around a lot of people like that before. I had a lot of things like that happen to me before, and so, whereas he could have talked to anybody else who wouldn't have had a clue or understood where he was coming from, I knew exactly where he was coming from and when, I was able to identify with him and empathize with him and share stories with him. He was shocked. He was like dude, that's amazing, you know exactly what I'm going through. And it just blew his mind that somebody else worked with him who knew what he was going through. And I was able to tell him hey, man, I've been where you've been and I've come out on the other side and I still know God loves me, he has a plan for my life. That means he has a plan for your life. And I mean I was just trying to encourage him and everything. And it was awesome and we struck up this friendship.

Speaker 1 9:08

And I remember going home that day and I was like now I know why I work there. God, I don't want to work here anymore. I still don't want to work here, but while I'm here, I get it. You needed somebody to come reach out to that guy. Well, how about we make us a deal? And this is not. We don't make deals with God.

Speaker 1 9:28

But in my mind I was like, how about this? I'm going to reach out to this guy. How about you get me out of here as soon as possible? And so at the end of the day, that wasn't really a deal I was striking, but in my mind I was thinking. I was like God, if you've got me here to reach out to this young man, then I'm going to reach out to this young man. He is going to become my new best friend, because if that's the reason why I'm here, I'm going to find a way to get him encouraged, get him back where you need him to be, so I to get out of there. And can I tell you that's exactly what happened. Like I started to reach out to him and I started befriending him. I started listening to him and I started reaching out to other people around me and I slowly started getting to where I did not like the job at all, but I started to like the people. And can I tell you seriously I mean this, this is a miracle the first morning on my way to work, where I wasn't complaining but instead I said, god, I'm thankful for this job. I still don't want to be here, but if this is what you've got for me, I'm going to do the best I can. Can I tell you that day was the day I got a phone call that, finally, another job. I was trying to get opened up and I was able to leave, but by then God had already used me to open up some doors of conversation and to help that particular gentleman. As far as I know, I think he started serving in ministry again. Later he got back into it and all this kind of stuff was great, and so it wasn't that I wanted to be there, but I was in a mess and God made something beautiful.

Purpose in Divine Design

Speaker 1 10:50

So many of you have the same story. You're in a place you didn't want to be, but you made the most of it and you trusted God, and God used you to make a difference, and if he did it before, maybe that's what he's doing today. You're alive for a reason. There's a reason why you work where you do. There's a reason why you're married or you're not married. There's a reason why you have kids or you don't have kids. There's a reason why you have the parents, you have the siblings, you have the friends. There's a reason.

Speaker 1 11:16

So, instead of asking God why, maybe all of us could say God, what do you want me to do? Let's pray God. Thank you so much for today. Thank you, god, that you're with us more than we can imagine. I pray God that you will help us to open our eyes to see the opportunities around us everywhere. We thank you in advance for all you're going to do. In Jesus' name, we pray Amen, amen. Well, just like we got through reading, esther 4, verse 14 says If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place. But who knows if you have been made queen for such a time as this? I love you. I'll see you tomorrow for Esther, chapter 5.