For Such a Time As This

“Who knows but that you have come to your … position for such a time as this?”

– Esther 4:14

My wife team-teaches second grade at Victor Valley Christian School. Last month, when I popped into her classroom, I overheard something that really struck me. Her team teacher, who is also a pastor’s wife, was giving the Bible lesson to the kids. She told them, “In this class we don’t call them Bible stories, because they are true. We call them Bible TRUTHS.”

We must never forget that. Whenever we refer to a Bible “story,” it’s not something that can be lumped in with “The Lion King” or “Aladdin.” Bible stories are in a league of their own, because they are true, and they are part of God’s word. So, with that in mind, I want to share with you one of my favorite stories in the whole Bible: The story of Queen Esther.

In a search that played out like a real-life version of The Bachelor, Xerxes, the king of Persia, conducted a kingdom-wide search for a bride. From the most beautiful young maidens in the kingdom, he chose a lovely Jewish woman named Esther to be his bride, and she became Queen of Persia in chapter 2 of the Book of Esther. But there was a problem. Because of the hostility toward Jews in Persia at that time, Esther’s cousin Mordecai ordered her not to reveal her nationality and family background. Esther was on thin ice … and then, in chapter 3, a scoundrel by the name of Haman became the second most powerful leader in Persia. Haman hated Esther’s cousin Mordecai—so much, in fact, that he plotted not only to kill him, but everyone in his family. Haman tricked the king into signing an edict saying that on the 13^th day of the 12^th month of that year, every Jew in the kingdom of Persia would be killed.

In Chapter 4, Mordecai sent word to Esther, telling her to go into the king’s presence to beg for mercy for her people. Esther was hesitant. She sent word back to Mordecai, explaining that anyone who approached the king without an invitation could be put to death on the spot—and it had been a month since Xerxes had sent for her. Mordecai sent back this memorable reply: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (vs. 13-14).

“For such a time as this”—these are the six most famous words in all of Esther. She was afraid to do what Mordecai had asked. She didn’t want to suffer. She didn’t want to die. But Mordecai’s words won her over. Esther believed that God had raised her up “for such a time as this.” So, she took a stand—and she successfully stood up for her people.

As our church moves to a new location, there’s a really important question that we need to answer: Why are we moving? Numerous reasons spring to mind. The drive up George Boulevard to our current location, surrounded by abandoned air base housing, is scary. Our church isn’t growing in its location. We’re not getting many first-time visitors, and many feel the drive to get here is too long. The list goes on and on. But there’s really only one answer that matters. Why are we moving? Because we believe God said so.

Now, let me be clear. None of our staff or leaders heard the audible voice of God say, “Move your church to the Ralph Baker School in September 2019.” None of us received a late-night visit from the Angel Gabriel. We didn’t even get an email from Roma Downey from “Touched by an Angel.”  But each of us has a relationship with God. Each of us talks with God regularly. And we believe God has been clearly leading our church in this direction, and He opened many doors to prove it.

The Lord has been so amazing over these past eight months. There’s a reason He brought us a buyer for our building two years ago. There’s a reason that a brand new school in a strategic location was available for rent at just the right time. There’s a reason I was introduced to the superintendent of the school district in February. There’s a reason that the decision-makers at the school have been so supportive. We believe God was clearly calling us to take a leap of faith and move on from here to make a greater impact for Christ in our community.

For the past 25 years, the former airbase chapel has been Ground Zero for some great ministry. We’ve baptized 582 adults, teens and kids. We’ve blessed low income families with more than 5,000 backpacks. Thousands of lives have been touched by the ministries that have taken place over the past 25 years. We have made an impact in our community from a very challenging location, and I believe God is saying to our church, “Well done!”

But God has also made it clear that we cannot settle for the status quo. What He’s been doing over the past 25 years has been preparing us for this next season. We believe God has called our church to its new home for such a time as this. And could it be that all of the challenges, trials and difficulties you’ve experienced have been God’s training ground—preparing you for such a time as this?

Dane Davis is the Lead Pastor of Impact Christian Church. Join us for our Grand Opening at 10 am Sunday, October 6^th at the new Ralph Baker School in Victorville. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.