Who is in control of your life? Without a second thought, we would acknowledge with our lips that God is control. But are we happy with that? And are we convinced that He is? Why is it that in situations that seem so huge, the right path seems so difficult to figure out? Why does He leave us in unwanted circumstances? Why are such life-changing decisions required when I know so little about life? Are you sure, totally sure, that God is at work in the details of your life?
Imagine losing your parents at a young age. You are raised by relatives as a visible minority in a country where your family’s belief system is constantly opposed by the world around you. You are then forcibly taken from your adoptive family by the most powerful man in the land and treated like a mere object for someone else’s pleasure. Then, while still a very young woman, you become a prominent political figurehead. You asked for none of this. You have no direct contact with your friends and family. There is no one around you to tell you to trust in the Lord … in fact, God isn’t even mentioned. To top it off, you are the one who should now step up to the plate and risk your life to save the people of God. Hello? “I’m supposed to be God’s hero now? Where has God been in my life?” Well, for starters … everywhere. After ensuring you were raised in a God-fearing family, His hand swept you away from that family into the presence of a godless power broker. Although this appeared to be a terrible situation, God had been working in the background, with other people, to bring you to this point of crisis. The Lord is good, and although you sometimes can’t understand, He presents this tremendous opportunity to you, to glorify His Name in a way that no one else can. The Lord has been at work in YOUR life … “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14).
One of the major lessons for you in the Book of Esther is the providence of God. This refers to His omniscient directing of the universe and the affairs of humankind (and your life!) with wisdom and goodness. Sometimes, it won’t appear to you to be wise and good. But remember – you’re not the one in control!
Why does God allow His purposes in your life to be hidden? In Esther’s story, there are a couple of reasons. First, it could be a consequence of the people having ignored God in the past. They shouldn’t be surprised to have to look for God in the background if they put Him there. Second, God is teaching His people to trust Him. It often takes faith to see the invisible hand of God in the challenges of life. Nothing you encounter is unseen by the eye of God; nothing is unknown to the mind of God; and nothing is beyond the power of God. “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22).
