“If you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will come to the Jewish people from another place, but you and your father’s family will be destroyed. Who knows, perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this.”
‭‭Esther‬ ‭4‬:‭14‬ ‭CSB‬‬

When I was a little girl I loved to visit my grandparents’ farm. Farming is a lot of work, and I’m sure my grandmother had plenty to do besides entertain a curious little kid. So she would send me out to gather the eggs from the hen house. She explained what to do and how to do it without upsetting the chickens. It was serious business as those eggs were very valuable in the household.

When I got to the hen house the first time, I was scared. I saw the way the hen eyed my hand as I moved to reach under her. I was certain she would peck me, and that beak looked very sharp.

I went back into the kitchen. My grandmother asked where the eggs were. I told her I was too scared. She said, “That’s OK. Your uncle will get the eggs later, but if you don’t get them now, you won’t have any for breakfast.”

I was hungry so I braved the glare of the hens and brought back some delicious fresh eggs.

In today’s verse, Esther faces a similar, but much more dire, situation. Her life, not just breakfast, is on the line. She has been asked to intercede for the Jews with the king, and she is scared. If she approaches him without first being summoned, it could mean execution. That’s when her uncle Mordecai tells her basically what my grandmother told me: “That’s OK. The Jews’ salvation will come from someone else, but you won’t be saved.”

God loves to use His people to accomplish His will. It gives us purpose, meaning, confidence, and satisfaction. It’s good to feel needed. And it’s a lovely way to bond — helping someone with an important task. God loves to bond that way with His children.

My grandmother didn’t need me to get the eggs any more than God needed Esther to save the Jews. But my grandmother knew that the experience would help me grow in confidence. God knew Esther’s faith (as well as that of everyone who heard her story) would grow by her obedience as well.

How is God asking me to participate today?

Dear God,

Thank you for inviting me to participate in your work in the world. Forgive me for the times when I am too scared or too distracted by less important things. Please remind me how much I have to gain by joining you obediently in accomplishing your will.