For Such A Time As This...

For Such A Time As This…

This phrase has gone through my thoughts a lot lately. As I prepare for the Encuentro trip, the more I see of the people, the more I learn of the island of Puerto Rico, the more I am convinced that God has called us here for “such a time as this.”

I am reminded of a young Jewish girl who was put into a situation which was definitely outside her comfort zone. She had a choice to make. Would God deliver this nation through her faithfulness or would she fail to be strong in the moment that God had ordained for her. It was her choice and her chance to impact the lives and history of an entire nation.

Are we any different than Esther? Our situation might not be as dire and our circumstances as urgent, but our calling is just the same. Esther’s God is our God and the people of Puerto Rico, as believers in Christ, are His people. I questioned His timing and the same echoing words keep coming back, words which make your stomach tighten and your breath falter just as much as if Mordecai were saying them to you today. “Perhaps you have come to this place, to this moment, to these people, to this challenge, for just such a time as this.”

What better time to serve our brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico than now. Now is when they need our help in rebuilding what they cannot. Now is when they need encouragement. Now is when they need us to come alongside them and keep their arms lifted to the heavens. Now is when they need us to be faithful in the ordinary everyday things. Now is the time to give them hope and renew their faith in the God Who ordained it all.

Will there be risks? Possibly. Will there be challenges? Yes. Will there be questions and frustrations? Probably so. But if we, like Esther, have realized the reality of our situation, sought all the help we needed, planned carefully, fasted, and put yourself in the hands of God then we will be prepared for this journey.

Perhaps you have been given your skills and experiences, so that just at this very moment you could do what no one else could do and be what no one else could be. God made you just as you are because he wanted someone just like you to be in Puerto Rico for just such a time as this.