For Such a Time as This

The story of Esther is one of my favorite Bible stories, besides the story of Jesus. Ü I think we all know the story of Esther. Just in case you don't, I'll give you a very quick over view. A beautiful orphaned Jewish girl (Esther), sworn to secrecy of her nationality by her cousin, is suddenly chosen to be queen of all Persia. Everything's going great, until evil, bad-sport Haman the Agagite talks the king into destroying all the Israelites. Mordecai, the cousin who had been raising Esther, asks her to go to the king, tell him of her true nationality, and plea for her life and her people's. She is afraid and gives an excuse (a pretty agreeable one).

"All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days."

She feared for her own life! Who wouldn't!? If she came into the court and made the king angry, she'd be put to death. If she was allowed to speak, but couldn't convince the king to help her and her people, she'd die anyway! Two obstacles.... two big obstacles. But read Mordecai's reply to her...

"Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"

Then Esther told the messenger to answer Mordecai:

"Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish."

Another thing my Mom told me in those few days I was devastated about the things going on in this country, was to remember this story. I may have been put here by God for such a time as this. I most definitely won't be a queen or a renowned leader, maybe just a simple girl to do a great work, like Jael in Judges 4. God does everything for a reason, and he knew that putting me in this era of time was the perfect time. Maybe I was put here to put courage in the hearts of the faint, just like my Mom has done for me. Or to fight for a freedom that we're losing.... that we've lost. Or maybe I'm just here to simply remind others that God will be our deliverer. Whatever the reason, God has a purpose for me being here and now. For such a time as this. I want to find that reason and live out my God-given task. And if I perish, I perish. Oh - Esther's story ends well! Her courage prevails and the king harkens to her pleas, he has Haman hung on the gallows that Haman had prepared for Mordecai, and the king defended the Israelites on the day of their supposed execution! Just to know we all have a purpose, and that that purpose is meant for us.... But if we don't fulfill that destiny, we are warned just like Esther was warned by Mordecai. If we don't fulfill our purpose, someone, somewhere different will rise up another time and claim the victory that was meant to be ours, in our time. I'd rather perish than lose the present victory and relinquish the battle to someone else because of fear. I was placed here for such a time as this. And so were you.

Forever Free

"... ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God ..."



I never understood that phrase from 1 Corinthians 6:20 until my Mom talked to me a few days in a row about it. I was complaining (almost crying) about how awful our country is getting to be - how we are becoming worse than communist countries who bar their citizens in with walls like a prison. I won't name all the evil, disgusting things that are being done these days... there are too many! Anyway it took about 2 or 3 days for me to cool down and finally listen and thankfully grasp what my Mama was trying to tell me. I realized that I have been so fed up, so hatefully angry and so set on rebelling against the injustices and wrongs that are being done to true Americans (patriots, freedom-seekers, etc.) that I have even began rebelling against God. I have asked forgiveness from Him and He forgave me, just like He promises to always do in His word, if a heart is truly contrite. Let me share with you what I learned.



If I am bought with a price - bought with the blood of Jesus - then I am Jesus'. I don't mind not being my own. I have eternal life! And if I am Jesus', I have everything I need - 'cause He's all I need! But there is something I couldn't seem to filter through my thick skull - if I am Christ's, and I am bought with a price, and He has promised to take care of me, why is He letting me live in this day and age when the most triumphant country in all of history loses its blessed freedom? Well, "you are bought with a price!" That's why!!! That wasn't a good enough answer for me. I kept on getting bitter, and then one day I found a couple verses.





"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32



Yes! A little relief flooded over me. I am Christ's, and I don't have to obey anybody on this earth but Him. If they take away the freedom I have, it's not really taken away, because God opens doors no one can shut, and He shuts doors that no one can open. If he takes something away from me, no one else but he will be able to restore it unto me. He gave me a gift that no one can take away - salvation - freedom from sin and laws that are sinful - in fact, freedom from all the laws, because now I have the power over sin. He is my King, and I ought to obey Him rather than any man. The freedom that we have in Christ Jesus is true FREEDOM!!! I will never be in bondage, because if I am, God allowed me to be put there, not some person I don't even know. No one but God controls what happens to me. Ü There's more, though...



"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." John 8:36



That goes along with what I was saying... when I excepted Jesus into my heart, I was freed from all sin, from all guilt. I should just repeat what I said in the paragraph above (maybe in a different sense?). If I am free from all sin, I am free from all sinful reign. I follow, obey, serve and honour no man - only God. I am not of this world. My kingdom is not earthly - it is eternal. Immortal. I'm just a pilgrim passin' through. And even though we of America are no longer free-free-free, I find comfort in knowing that God allowed that. I am his and he can do what he wants with me, for I am bought with a price. My freedom and my rights are still the same in Christ Jesus! I may die defending those rights, but what would you expect if a spirited, free person from a foreign land (me) lived in a familiar, though rather hostile and tyrannical country (the world) and still declared my birth-right freedom? Uh, wouldn't go so well with the authorities. So I am commanded to obey the laws of the land - except if they are contrary to God's Word. That is a dellllliciously victorious feeling!!!!! A wonderful freedom! I can actually rebel against the laws that confront God's laws (in the understanding that it is to be done respectfully)! The best part is, if you're a sinner saved by the grace of Jesus and his blood, you're forever free! Not just temporarily, or only free if you're good. Those things never saved your soul... only Jesus - the King of Kings! And it is still his power and grace that enables us Christians to remain free. Free from the law and free from sin! But better yet - under his rule and no man's!!!!

I Will Wait

Golly, where have I been!? Oh, here and there... everywhere..... living a regular busy life with chores, piano, riding, and such...


But I've been thinking about this one thing alot lately. This one thing seems like I might not live to see it happen, but then again, I hope with an everlasting hope. This one thing is - my Prince. My Prince of Peace. My Jesus. Someday, when God my Father commands Jesus to come and rescue His children from this world, the Heavens will open, the trumpet will sound, Jesus will come in a cloud with great power and dignity around Him, and I will ascend up to Him. I can't WAIT!!!!!! I'm soooooooooooo excited! It's a hope that's turned louder and louder as the days go by, and it's turned into a song in my soul. I'm like a princess waiting, what seems forever, for her knight in shining armour.

But He is coming soon! He said so!

All my life I have dreamed of what kind of man I wanted to marry. All my life, it's always been an adventurous, daring, spirited guy. But as I got older, I was more specific - more particular - til I was saying "someone perfect"! Shame, shame on me..... no one is perfect. I then realized..... I'm asking for Jesus. Sometimes I'll be laying in bed at night or sitting on my roof watching the sunrise, and I think "Come get me!!!" I've never seen His face or heard His voice, but I know Him and I know He's the knight in shining armour I've always dreamed of. I'll probably get married someday to a wonderful, adventurous guy that's always been my ideal. But waiting for him will never surpass the longing I feel for Jesus. I want Him to come back today and take me home!!!! But even if He doesn't, I'll be waiting til I die, because when I die, I'll see Him them!