Here I am, Lord, use me!

We are doing a survey in our Wednesday evening School of the Bible. It's been good to take a wide lens look at the Word, to learn again that within the individual dramas God was at work, creating and preserving His people. Last night, we came to the little book of Esther, which tells the story of a Jewish girl in the Persian Empire who through an amazing series of 'coincidences' became the queen and, in that position, had the opportunity to save her people from annihilation. The Book reminds us that God is always working - visibly and invisibly- to accomplish His purposes. The key passage of the book says - "Don’t think for a moment that you will escape there in the palace when all other Jews are killed. If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. What’s more, who can say but that you have been elevated to the palace for just such a time as this?” (Esther 4:13-15, NLT)

Interesting, isn't it? Esther's guardian, the man who raised her when she was orphaned, reminds her that her 'good luck' is more than that. God has brought her to this place. His purposes will be fulfilled and now she has the opportunity to step up and be a part of what He will do!

Great stuff, isn't it? God will always accomplish His purposes, with or without us. He invites us to participate and by His providence brings us to moments of decision where we can put ourselves on the line for Him, or walk away. Two principles that appear to us to be in direct conflict are taught as being equally true in the Bible:
A. God is charge and will do what He purposes to do. And,
B. I am free to choose to join Him or refuse Him.

How can both be true? Only by faith! He is not a puppeteer making us dance on the end of the string. Yet, He will still accomplish His will. Difficult to understand? Yes! Is faith required? Absolutely. Does our lfe story always tie up all the loose ends as neatly as the story of Esther? Nope! Some situations will not make sense until we join the Lord in eternity and are able to see what He sees and grasp the grand sweep of time.

I nearly missed the point of the story of Esther for a couple of reasons.

First, I over analyzed the story. I got caught up asking, "If God is charge, why didn't He just keep old Haman from his jealousy and rage that provoked the attempt to annihilate the Jews in the first place?" Good question but there's no answer this side of Heaven. If I go there, I won't see the later developments that do reveal God at work. Yep, I do the same thing when somebody tells how God ministered to them in a tough spot, like an auto accident or getting cancer. If I'm not careful I miss the joy they found in His grace because I am protesting, "Well, if He's so good, why did He allow that wreck or disease to happen?" Yes, God is good even as He allows sin and suffering to continue.

Second, I read my own cultural assumptions into the story of Esther. When I got to chapter 2 and read of old King Xerxes sending out his representatives to gather up hundreds of beautiful girls from the empire to become part of the search for a new queen and then to live the rest of their lives in his harem, I was outraged by the treatment of women who were basically just 'boy toys' in that era. My outrage blinded me to the fact, temporarily, that it wasn't the 21st century and that God works with people in the time and place where He finds them! In Bible study, somebody reminded me that Esther's story can be read as a lesson of the beauty of God's selection of those whom He will love and our response to His love. True enough! And, again, we must understand that we cannot read our cultural assumptions into the Text, unless we want to mostly miss the point!

Faith isn't easy for us, is it? However, "By faith, we see the world called into existence by God’s word, what we see created by what we don’t see. ... It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him." (Hebrews 11: 3,6 The Message) An intelligent faith asks God for understanding, studies the Word and the situations of life, and wrestles with the questions, but humility causes us to know limits of our vision. So, when we come to the wall too high for us to climb or see over, we offer ourselves to the One who reveals Himself as "Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End," and say, "Here I am, Lord, use me!" And He does, and we experience joy! Hallelujah.
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God Is Good All The Time
Moen, Don / Overstreet, Paul

God is good all the time.
He put a song of praise,
In this heart of mine;
God is good all the time.
Through the darkest night,
His light will shine;
God is good,
God is good all the time.

If you're walking through the valley,
And there are shadows all around,
Do not fear, He will guide You,
He will keep you safe and sound.
He has promised to never leave you
Nor forsake you, and His Word is true.

We were sinners so unworthy,
Still for us He chose to die;
Filled us with His Holy Spirit,
Now we can stand and testify,
That His love is everlasting,
And His mercies, they will never end.

Though I may not understand,
All the plans You have for me,
My life is in Your hands,
And through the eyes of faith,
I can clearly see,
God is good, God is good - all the time!

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