📊 Esther 4:14 | For Such a Time As This

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Happy Tuesday, everyone!

If you missed yesterday’s introduction to Esther, you can find it here! 

And remember: If the full verse is too long for you to memorize this week, you can focus on just the last part of the verse:

And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

In today’s email…

• 😓 The fate of the people relied on Esther

• ❤️ The historical courage of Esther and Churchill

• 👀 From persecuting Christians to becoming one

• 📊 Trivia to see if you were paying attention…

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MEMORIZE 🧠 

For if you ____ _______ __ ____ ____, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish.

And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for ____ _ ____ __ _____?

Esther 4:14

CONTEXT 📕 

In chapter 3 of Esther, the villain Haman (a high official to King Xerxes) rises to power.

His hatred began when Mordecai (a Jew) refused to bow down to him:

In response, he convinces the king to pass a law ordering the destruction of all the Jews in the empire.

It’s genocide by decree, sealed with the king’s ring.

The date for this to happen was chosen by casting lots — rolling dice called pur.

When chapter 4 opens, the news spreads fast.

Mordecai, Esther’s cousin, tears his clothes, puts on sackcloth, and cries out in the city. All across Persia, the Jews begin mourning, fasting, and weeping.

Their very existence is under threat.

Esther, safe inside the palace, hears about Mordecai’s grief and sends a servant to ask what’s going on.

That’s when she gets the message: she is the only one with access to the king. She must plead for her people.

But here’s the problem: going to the king uninvited was against Persian law. 

And the punishment was death.

Unless the king extended his golden scepter, Esther would be executed on the spot.

At first, Esther hesitates.

Approaching the king could very well cost her life.

And then Mordecai sends the words that have echoed for centuries:

This moment is the hinge of the story:

• Chapter 3: Haman plots death.

• Chapter 4: Mordecai calls Esther to courage.

• Chapter 5: Esther risks her life, stepping into the king’s presence and setting the rescue in motion.

Esther 4 is the turning point. 

The entire fate of God’s people rests on Esther’s choice.

APPLY AND RESPOND 🏃‍♂️ 

I’m a bit of a history nerd, so bear with me.

In 1939, as the world slid into war, Winston Churchill was called out of retirement.

For years, he had been pushed aside, mocked, even blamed for past failures. Yet when Britain faced its darkest hour, Churchill was the only one with the courage and voice to rally the nation.

His words, “We shall never surrender,” became a turning point in history.

That’s an Esther kind of moment.

Now, here’s your challenge for today:

Name your “palace.” Where are you comfortable staying quiet? At work when someone bends the truth? At home when faith gets brushed aside? Among friends when gossip runs wild?

Name your “people.” Who could be impacted if you spoke up with faith, truth, or kindness? Maybe it’s your kids, your co-workers, or even just one struggling friend.

Then ask: What if God placed me here, today, for such a time as this?

This week, don’t wait for the perfect moment. Take one small, courageous step that might cost you something.

Like Esther, you might discover God has you in this exact spot for a reason.

🙏 Pray

Father, open my eyes to the moments where silence feels safer than speaking. Give me courage to act, even when it costs me. Help me see that You’ve placed me here, now, on purpose. Amen.

TOGETHER WITH VOICE OF THE MARTYRS

Caala Ebo once reported Christians to Ethiopia's Communist government, sending them to prison for their faith.

As a dedicated Marxist-Leninist, he believed Christians were "the promoters of imperialism." Soon, he became a skilled informant for the Communist Party.

But God had other plans.

A childhood memory of the gospel, a missionary's prayer, and a profound encounter with God's Word changed everything.

When Caala embraced Christ, his Communist friends turned on him — using his own tactics to have him imprisoned.

Inside the prison where he had sent Christians, Caala now sought them out. One became his spiritual father, discipling him in the faith, and the prison became his Bible school.

After his release, Caala sought out the first Christian student he'd sent to jail.

Click below to find out what happened next (and Caala's biggest prayer request)!

TRIVIA 📊 

Click one of the answers below. Let’s see how you do…

ANSWER KEY ✅ 

For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish.

And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

Esther 4:14