For Such a Time as This: Be Bold

Devotional

Day 1: God's Unseen Hand: Working in the Background

Sometimes, God works in ways we cannot immediately perceive, orchestrating events behind the scenes of our lives. Just as in the story of Esther, where God is never explicitly mentioned, we can still witness His divine fingerprint guiding circumstances and preparing a rescue plan long before it's needed. Even in the most ordinary or challenging moments, God is actively involved, shaping our paths and fulfilling His purposes for His people. He works through the mundane, in places of exile, for the protection and flourishing of those He loves. [40:08]

Esther 4:14 ESV
For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

Reflection: When you look back at a significant turning point in your life, what subtle circumstances or "coincidences" can you now recognize as God's unseen hand at work?

Day 2: Don't Go It Alone: Embrace Community

Life's difficult seasons are not meant to be faced in isolation. Esther, facing a terrifying task, understood the power of collective support and asked her people to fast with her. It is a reminder that we are called to live in community, sharing our lives, bearing one another's burdens, and sharpening each other in faith. Breaking the habit of self-sufficiency allows us to receive the strength and encouragement God intends for us through our brothers and sisters. God desires for us to be connected, not just attending church, but truly sharing life together. [46:20]

Galatians 6:2 ESV
Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Reflection: In what specific area of your life are you currently carrying a burden alone, and who is one trusted person in your community you could reach out to for prayer or support this week?

Day 3: Be the Help: God Works Through You

While we are encouraged to seek help, we are also called to be the help for others. God desires to work actively through His people in the everyday moments of life, not always through grand, mysterious interventions. Just as the Jews in Susa gathered to fast for Esther, we too can offer support, encouragement, and practical assistance to those around us. Your willingness to serve, to listen, or to meet a simple need can be God's primary way of accomplishing His will in the world. He longs for you to be an active participant in His plans. [47:53]

1 Peter 4:10 ESV
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace:

Reflection: Think of someone in your life or community who might be struggling. What is one concrete, practical way you could offer them support or encouragement this week, reflecting God's love through your actions?

Day 4: Appointed for This Time: Your Unique Calling

Each person has been uniquely appointed for "such a time as this," endowed with specific gifts, vocations, and spheres of influence. Whether you are a parent, a teacher, an accountant, or retired, God has placed you exactly where you are for a divine purpose. Your daily work, your family interactions, and your community involvement are not insignificant; they are arenas where God desires to accomplish His will through you. Believe that your life has eternal impact, and that God wants to use you to meet needs and bless others in the mundane. [51:45]

Esther 4:14 ESV
For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

Reflection: Reflect on your current roles and responsibilities—in your family, workplace, or community. How might God be inviting you to see these as opportunities to live out your unique calling "for such a time as this"?

Day 5: Play Bold: Courage in Christ

Living a life of faith often requires boldness, a trait empowered by the Holy Spirit. Esther's declaration, "If I perish, I perish," exemplifies a courageous trust in God's ultimate plan, even when facing life-threatening circumstances. While most of our situations may not be life or death, God calls us to step out in faith, unafraid of looking foolish or facing challenges. Remember that nothing can separate us from our Savior's love, and His Spirit dwells within us. God is with you, even in the midst of messy situations or past mistakes, inviting you to put on your jersey and play boldly for His kingdom. [55:01]

Romans 14:8 ESV
For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.

Reflection: What is one specific situation in your life right now that requires a step of boldness, and what might it look like to take that step, trusting God's presence and purpose?

Sermon Summary

Esther’s story unfolds in the Persian capital of Susa, where a displaced people live under the shadow of a violent decree. A proud king removes a disobedient queen and, after a beauty contest, crowns Esther—an orphan raised by her cousin Mordecai—as queen. Haman, elevated to second-in-command, demands public homage; Mordecai refuses. Enraged, Haman secures a royal edict to annihilate the Jews. Mordecai confronts Esther through couriers, urging her to use her access to the king. Esther answers with a sober plan: call the Jews to fast, then she will risk appearing before the king unbidden—“If I perish, I perish.”

Two features shape the narrative and its meaning. First, God’s name never appears in the book, yet providence is unmistakable: people, coincidences, and positions of influence cohere into a rescue that only divine orchestration explains. Second, faith is practical and communal. Mordecai’s counsel calls for corporate fasting and mutual support; Esther does not go alone but gathers prayerful companions. The drama hinges not on spectacular signs but on mundane courage: a woman using her ordinary office and relationships to intervene.

From these verses arise five lasting convictions. God can be at work without being named; providence often shows through human choices and timing. Hard responsibilities are not meant to be shouldered privately; faithful action usually begins and proceeds within community. Believers are both recipients and instruments of deliverance—called to help one another while also being prepared to serve. Every vocation and stage of life is significant for God’s purposes; ordinary tasks and roles can be the venue for kingdom rescue. Finally, faith often requires boldness that accepts risk for the sake of others—stepping before kings, entering danger, and risking loss because loyalty to God’s people outweighs personal safety.

The narrative presses the listener to see vocation as divine appointment, to take communal spiritual practices seriously, and to embrace costly courage. In exile or comfort, in small trades or public offices, God’s hidden work invites participation: to pray, to serve, and to act with a holy boldness that trusts God’s sovereignty even when the outcome is uncertain.

Key Takeaways

1. God works behind the scenes God’s providence can be active without explicit mention; events, placements, and coincidences often carry divine intention even when God’s name is absent. Recognizing providence reframes ordinary circumstances as potential instruments of rescue and hope, calling for attentiveness to hidden patterns rather than only visible miracles. This posture increases patience and willingness to engage where God seems silent. [39:03]
2. Don't face hard things alone Faithful action typically emerges from shared spiritual discipline and counsel, not private heroics. Asking others to bear burdens and to fast or pray with you is part of submitting to God’s means of deliverance. Community reduces the temptation to isolation and enlarges wisdom and courage for difficult steps. [45:50]
3. Be the help others need Believers are summoned both to receive aid and to provide it; spiritual life is reciprocal service. Offering time, prayer, or practical assistance participates in God’s method of working in the world—mundane acts can change destinies. This redefines greatness as steady, sacrificial presence rather than dramatic achievement. [46:52]
4. Appointed for such a time Every role and season carries formative opportunity; vocation can be providential placement for others’ rescue. Seeing daily work as ordained for God’s purposes reshapes how one approaches tasks, relationships, and influence. This conviction calls for faithful stewardship of small offices as potential agents of deliverance. [48:41]
5. Play bold; risk for kingdom Courage in faith looks like willing exposure to loss for another’s sake—stepping before rulers, confessing truth, or acting despite fear. Boldness is a fruit of the Spirit that moves believers from calculation to costly obedience when lives are at stake. Such risks are not reckless but orientated to God’s redemptive purposes. [53:11]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[32:10] - Introducing Esther and Context
[34:58] - Queen Vashti’s Refusal and Change
[35:59] - Haman’s Rise and Threat
[36:48] - The Decree Against the Jews
[37:13] - Mordecai at the King’s Gate
[37:58] - Mordecai’s Charge to Esther
[38:47] - Esther’s Fast and Resolve
[39:03] - God Hidden but Active
[43:40] - Five Truths Framework
[45:50] - Don’t Go It Alone
[46:52] - Be the Help
[48:41] - Appointed for Such a Time
[53:11] - Play Bold; Risk for Kingdom
[58:25] - Application and Prayer
[74:01] - Closing Blessing

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading

Esther 4:12–17 (ESV)
And they told Mordecai what Esther had said. Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.” Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered.

Romans 14:7–9 (ESV)
For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

Observation questions

In Esther 4:14, what does Mordecai say will happen to the Jewish people if Esther chooses to remain silent?
What specific spiritual discipline does Esther ask the community to participate in for three days before she approaches the king? [45:24]
According to the text, what was the personal risk Esther faced by going before the king without being summoned? [44:46]
In Romans 14:7–9, what is the primary reason given for why a believer can be bold in both life and death?

Interpretation questions

God’s name is never mentioned in the book of Esther, yet His "fingerprint" is seen throughout the story [40:08] through coincidences and timing. How does the placement of an orphan girl into the role of Queen of Persia just before a crisis suggest that God is active even when He is silent? [39:03]
Mordecai tells Esther that if she doesn't act, relief will arise from "another place" [48:10]. What does this reveal about the balance between God’s certain promises to protect His people and the individual’s responsibility to be an instrument of that protection?
Esther concludes her plan by saying, "If I perish, I perish" [52:52]. How does this reflect the mindset described in Romans 14, where belonging to the Lord removes the fear of personal loss or death? [54:39]
Boldness is often described as a trait of the Holy Spirit [53:11]. Why does God often choose to accomplish His "kingdom rescue" through ordinary people in mundane roles—like a queen, a cousin, or a servant—rather than through spectacular miracles? [39:20]

Application questions

God often works behind the scenes in the "mundane" parts of our lives [39:20]. Looking back at your own story, where can you see God’s fingerprint on a situation that seemed like a "random drawing" or a coincidence at the time? [42:58]
It is easy to fall into the trap of self-sufficiency, but we aren't meant to face hard things alone [45:50]. Is there a challenge you are currently trying to handle by yourself? Who are the brothers or sisters you can ask to "fast" or pray with you this week? [45:24]
Every person has been appointed for "such a time as this" in their specific vocation—whether as a teacher, a plumber, a parent, or a retiree [48:41]. How does viewing your current job or stage of life as a "divine appointment" change the way you handle your daily tasks and relationships? [49:10]
Sometimes we feel like we are on the "bench" because of past mistakes or consequences [55:56]. If "the jersey is on" the moment we follow Christ, what is one small way you can get "active in the game" this week despite your fears? [51:01]
Boldness doesn't always mean doing something famous; it often means being willing to look foolish or take a risk for the sake of others [53:11]. Where is God calling you to "play bold" right now, even if the outcome is uncertain? [54:12]
We are called to be both recipients of help and the help that others need [46:52]. Who in your circle of influence needs you to "be the help" right now, perhaps just by listening or being a steady presence in their "mundane" struggle? [47:28]

Sermon Clips

And before we break it down, I wanna give us a framework because something very fascinating about this book in particular is that God is not mentioned one time in this book. He doesn't speak. He doesn't get spoken to or even spoken about. And so we are left with getting to watch God work in this story behind the scenes through people. He's working behind the scenes in some things that can only be controlled by God, but then he's working through people to accomplish his will and his ways. [00:38:53] (39 seconds) #GodWorksBehindScenes

He repented. Lord forgave his sins. He started a relationship with Jesus, and I know Brady, and he's still walking with Jesus to this very day. Can you see God's fingerprint on that story a little bit? The one student that needed to get to Perkins on Monday night won a bike earlier that day and a random drawing so that he had the ability to get to Perkins and have a conversation that could change his eternity. The story of Esther is just like that. [00:42:42] (32 seconds) #GodsFingerprint

Says, Mordecai, would you gather up all the Jewish people in this city of Susa, and would you guys fast? Would you fast for three days and three nights? And I'm gonna be fasting for three nights. I'm gonna have the the young woman under me fasting. So number one, God is working in the background even when you can't see him. Number two, when you go into hard things in your life, don't go it alone. It's okay to break the Midwestern code of self sufficiency and ask for help once in a while. [00:45:22] (36 seconds) #FastTogether

I don't want you to raise your hands here, but how many of you right now in here, if you're kind of honest, are going it alone? That's not what God wants for you. God wants you to be in a community, not just to have a church to come to on a Sunday, but to have a community, to have your life be shared with other people, that you can bear one another's burdens, that you can sharpen one another in faith. [00:46:13] (27 seconds) #CommunityOverIsolation

God's working in the background and in the mundane, and he wants to accomplish things through you. That doesn't necessarily mean sharing the gospel every single day at your workplace. It maybe just be that, you know, you might you might actually never have somebody tap you on the shoulder while you work and ask you to be like, hey. You know, I I wanna receive Christ today. But sometimes the people you interact with every day just need to be listened to. They just need their brakes fixed. They need their sink Roto Rooted. And you will be what God uses in the mundane to do that and to help people and to meet needs. [00:49:35] (39 seconds) #MundaneMinistry

God's working in the background, number one. Number two, when you go into hard things, we learn that we can ask for help. This is how God's designed the church to carry each other's burdens. Number three, that we don't just ask for help at times, that we are the help that we carry. Sometimes we need other people to carry our burdens. Sometimes we carry their burdens. And number four, to never forget that you've been appointed for such a time as this. [00:52:11] (22 seconds) #CarryEachOthersBurdens

``Esther doesn't know what's gonna happen when she goes before the king. She could die, but I'll go. Number five, play bold. Do you know that boldness is a trait of the holy spirit? When you read in the book of Acts, when people are filled with the Holy Spirit, it always says following that, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit, and then they boldly did something. Be bold. [00:52:57] (38 seconds) #BoldnessOfSpirit

But in chapter four, we get to see and throughout, really, this whole book, we get to see that God is working in the background even when we can't see him. And we learn specifically in chapter four that when we go through these hard situations in life that we don't go it alone, that we can ask for help. And we can see the power of what happens when God's people come together, and not just to ask for help, but then to be the help, to support the brothers and sisters around us. And Esther, we get to really see what happens when we step into our situations in life truly trusting that we've been appointed for such a time as this. [00:56:17] (51 seconds) #TrustAndTogetherness

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For Such a Time as This: Be Bold

Devotional

Day 1: God's Unseen Hand: Working in the Background

Day 2: Don't Go It Alone: Embrace Community

Day 3: Be the Help: God Works Through You

Day 4: Appointed for This Time: Your Unique Calling

Day 5: Play Bold: Courage in Christ

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

For Such a Time as This: Be Bold

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