"The right person in the right place at the right time" August 10, 2022
Wednesday, August 10th
Take5 Devotional today written by Pastor Curtis Johnson
The right person in the right place at the right time
Scripture to read today: Esther 2:5-7
Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoiachin king of Judah. Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This young woman, who was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.
Esther 2:5-7
We are introduced to Mordecai and Esther, the two would be used by God and become heroes among the Jewish people as well as to readers of the Bible. Just who are these two people? In addition to being cousins, what do they bring to the story? To begin with, it looks as though they were not orthodox followers of the Torah based on what they were eating, drinking, and whom they married. It’s been pointed out that they were morally compromised people. But God still chose to use them mightily for His purpose in saving the Jews in Persia. Through the book of Esther, we learn of their courage and conviction, their acts resulting in personal risk, their cleverness, and their faithfulness and desire to save the Jewish people. From God’s perspective, Mordecai and Esther were the right people in the right place and at the right time to usher in His providence and sovereignty.
The Bible invites us to see that God can and does work in the real mess and moral ambiguity of human history, using the faithfulness, even of morally compromised people, to accomplish his purposes. Like Mordecai, I have not always done things the right way and I imagine that you have not either. Yet, God has chosen to work in our lives. Consider today how God has gifted you with skills, talents, education, resources, and experiences. How might He use you and your gifts for His purposes?