Discover His heart: He positions us to fulfill His purpose
Chess is a game of strategy using specific characters on a chess board with the ultimate goal of blocking the opponent’s king so he cannot move. Many people find this to be entertaining. In fact, I joined dozens of people one time to watch a game of chess in Salzburg played on one of the town squares with chess pieces 3 feet tall. Every move not only involved cerebral energy but physical energy as well. I must admit that I don’t play chess. I spend most of every day strategizing how to get accomplished all that needs to get done before bedtime, so why would I play a game of strategy for fun?
However, the different characters on the chess board do intrigue me. Each piece has a specific function and direction of movement from the lowly pawn to the queen herself. A pawn that is moved to the correct position can bring down the king – checkmate! Imagine that! When a pawn is positioned for a purpose, anything can happen. Today we read about a lowly Jewish girl, some would call a pawn in the scheme of things, who was positioned for the purpose of saving a nation.
@ Esther 4
While most believed that Esther had become the Queen of Persia because of her great beauty, her uncle Mordecai understood that God had positioned her to save her people. Through the influence of his advisor, evil Haman, the king had issued a decree that all the Jews be killed, but Mordecai encouraged Esther to consider that she had been positioned for purpose. “If you keep quiet at a time like this, 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 just such a time as this?”(14)
Sometimes we find ourselves in a position that we find uncomfortable for various reasons. That position may be boring and dull, or it may be stressful and risky, or it may be downright painful. Regardless of the reason, we just don’t like it. We complain a lot and feel like we’re bumping into a brick wall as we try to change things, but have we considered the possibility that we have been positioned for purpose?
We may not save a nation in the position we find ourselves, but just as important to God, we may help to save a soul – a neighbor, co-worker, a sales clerk. God loves every soul on the planet enough to position us for the purpose of reaching each one. Or perhaps in our position right now, He is changing us and making us ready for His purpose. Positioned for purpose! May the question of Mordecai reach down through the centuries to open our eyes to the possibility that we, too, are positioned for a purpose, “Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”
Moving Forward: I submit to the endless possibilities that His purpose has positioned me for today.
Tomorrow @ Psalms 146-148
Phyllis Benigas 