For a time like this

Friday March 19, 2021

For a time like this

Who knows if it wasn't for a time like this that you came to royalty ? Esther 4:14

Esther had good reason to complain. She could have moaned : "If only my parents were still alive... If only I had stayed in my country ! I am in a foreign land, subject to bizarre customs. I am married to a king, yes, but what a funny thing to do marriage ! I can only join my husband on his order, otherwise I risk my life ! And to top it all off, they want to destroy my people..."

Moreover, when her cousin Mordecai asked her to intervene to save the Jews, Esther hesitated. She knew that the approach she would have to take to the king could be fatal to her. Fortunately, Mordecai found the words to convince her. Then Esther was admirable. Throughout the pages, we see her take the situation in hand, animated by divine wisdom. It has become the very symbol of courage for the Jewish people, who still celebrate it today.

We also believe that we have good reasons to complain. "How hard are our times !" we moan. Society is increasingly deviating from moral standards. No one is interested in the gospel anymore. Hearts harden...", etc. These fears paralyze us, prevent us from being witnesses of Jesus Christ, and often, are unfounded.

"God wants to see us shine like torches in our dark society"

Our human nature prompts us to idealize the "good old days". We nostalgically remember the past, forgetting that once everything was not as rosy as we remember it. Moreover, our contemporaries do not have an increasingly closed heart. They are confused. They forage among the ruins of civilization, in search of landmarks, desperately looking for something to fill the void of their soul. “God has put in their hearts the thought of eternity” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). If they seem jaded, beyond appearances, their thirsty hearts yearn to be quenched.

Our Lord has placed us on this earth "for a time like this," at the time He has provided for us, in the right place. He wants to see us shine like torches in our dark society. He wants to make us witnesses in our time, where we are.

A resolution for today

I will not waste my time moaning about the harshness of my time or unfavorable circumstances, but I will ask the Lord to help me make a great impact on my generation.

Paul Calzada

Source (The Thought of the Day)