You Can Make a Difference for God

Devotional

Day 1: God Redeems Your Story for His Purpose

No matter what pain or loss you have experienced, God never wastes a wound. He is able to take the broken pieces of your past and transform them into a platform for blessing others. Even when it seems like life is stacked against you, God may be reserving you, hiding you until it’s time to reveal His purpose through you. Your scars can become someone else’s survival guide, and your testimony of God’s faithfulness can encourage others to trust Him in their own struggles. Let God redeem your story, and watch Him use what the enemy meant for evil to bring about great good. [09:25]

1 Corinthians 1:3-4 (ESV)
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."

Reflection: What is one area of past pain or loss in your life that God might want to use to encourage or help someone else today? Will you ask Him to show you how to share your story for His glory?

Day 2: Divine Shifts Carry Divine Assignments

When God shifts your life—whether it’s a new position, opportunity, or season—it’s never by accident. Every shift is strategic and comes with a divine assignment. God crafts you perfectly for your purpose, giving you the right personality, past, and potential for what He’s called you to do. The extra blessings, influence, or opportunities you receive are not just for your comfort, but for kingdom contribution. Don’t misread your shift as mere luck or coincidence; recognize that God has located you on purpose so you can make a difference for Him. [15:55]

Esther 2:17 (ESV)
"The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti."

Reflection: Where has God recently shifted you—at work, home, or in relationships—and how might He be calling you to use this new position or season to serve His purpose?

Day 3: Surrender Means Getting Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable

To truly make a difference for God, you must be willing to step out of your comfort zone and live a surrendered life. Comfort will always whisper in your ear, but God’s call will challenge you to deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow Him. The Christian life is not about seeking comfort, but about embracing self-denial and obedience, even when it’s costly or uncomfortable. It’s in these moments of discomfort that God often produces undeniable miracles and moves powerfully through your faith. [21:47]

Luke 9:23 (ESV)
"And he said to all, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.'"

Reflection: What is one area where comfort is holding you back from fully obeying God’s call? What step of faith can you take today to move beyond comfort and into surrender?

Day 4: Favor Finds Those Who Are Faithful and Obedient

You don’t have to chase favor; when you are sold out to God’s call and live in obedience, favor will find you. God’s blessings are not automatic—they are often attached to an “if,” a condition of diligently obeying His voice. When you honor God above comfort, convenience, and compromise, He sends favor running after you, opening doors and multiplying opportunities you could never achieve on your own. Favor is unmerited grace, and it positions you to make a difference for God’s kingdom. [31:07]

Deuteronomy 28:1-2 (ESV)
"And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God."

Reflection: Are there areas in your life where you are chasing favor or blessing instead of simply obeying God? How can you shift your focus today to faithfulness and trust that God’s favor will follow?

Day 5: Share the Favor You’ve Been Shown

When God blesses you with favor—whether in resources, influence, or opportunity—it’s not just for your enjoyment, but so you can share it and make a difference for others. God calls you to be rich in good works, ready to give, and willing to share, using your blessings to lift His name and advance His kingdom. True favor multiplies when it is shared, and God entrusts more to those who use what they have for His glory. Let your life be a channel of God’s favor to others, storing up eternal treasure as you bless those around you. [35:59]

1 Timothy 6:17-19 (ESV)
"As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life."

Reflection: In what specific way can you share the favor, resources, or opportunities God has given you with someone else this week? Who is God prompting you to bless or serve today?

Sermon Summary

God is always at work, even when His presence seems hidden. The story of Esther reminds us that God’s fingerprints are all over our lives, orchestrating events and positioning us for His purposes, even when we can’t see Him directly. Esther’s journey from orphaned exile to queen of Persia is a testament to how God redeems our stories, using our pain and obscurity as preparation for a greater purpose. Before Esther wore a crown, she endured crisis and loss, but God never wasted her wounds. Instead, He transformed her scars into a platform to bless others and deliver His people.

Each of us is called to recognize the divine shifts in our lives. When God moves us into new positions, roles, or seasons, it’s not by accident or luck. We are crafted for our calling, uniquely designed with the right personality, past, and potential for the assignment God has for us. Every promotion, every blessing, every shift is strategic—meant not just for our comfort, but for God’s kingdom. We must not misread these shifts as mere good fortune, but as divine assignments to make a difference for God.

Living a surrendered life is essential. Esther’s willingness to risk her life—“If I perish, I perish”—shows us that true impact for God requires us to move beyond comfort and embrace the cost of obedience. The Christian life is not about pursuing comfort, but about daily self-denial and following Christ wherever He leads. Faith is inherently risky, and it is in those uncomfortable, faith-stretching moments that God’s power is most evident.

Finally, the favor God shows us is never meant to be hoarded. When we walk in obedience and surrender, favor will find us. But that favor is given so we can share it—using our influence, resources, and opportunities to lift up the name of Jesus and bless others. God positions us, like Esther, to be conduits of His grace, not reservoirs. Our calling is to steward the favor we’ve received, making a difference for God in every sphere of influence He entrusts to us.

Key Takeaways

1. Let God Redeem Your Story God never wastes a wound. The pain and setbacks of your past are not obstacles, but raw material for God’s redemptive work. When you allow Him to heal and transform your story, your scars become a survival guide for others, and your testimony becomes a weapon against despair. God’s comfort in your tribulation is meant to overflow into the lives of those around you. [09:25]
2. Recognize the Purpose of Your Shift Every divine shift in your life is strategic. Promotions, new opportunities, and even seasons of obscurity are orchestrated by God for a purpose beyond yourself. Don’t mistake your new position as mere luck or personal achievement; see it as a divine assignment to make a difference for God. You are crafted for your calling, and your platform is for His purpose. [15:21]
3. Embrace a Surrendered, Uncomfortable Life True impact for God requires surrender and a willingness to be uncomfortable. Comfort is often the greatest enemy of calling. The pattern of Scripture is clear: those who make a difference for God are those who deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and step out in faith even when it costs them. The prize of God’s purpose always follows the price of obedience. [21:47]
4. Share the Favor You’ve Been Shown Favor is not something to chase, but something that chases those who are fully surrendered to God’s call. When God blesses you with influence, resources, or opportunity, it is so you can be a blessing to others. Steward your favor by using it to lift up Jesus, serve others, and advance God’s kingdom. The more you share, the more God entrusts to you. [33:58]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:14] - Greeting All Locations
[00:31] - Bible Declaration
[01:02] - Reading from Esther
[02:02] - Esther’s Call to Make a Difference
[03:40] - The Power of Testimony
[05:15] - God’s Hidden Fingerprints
[07:04] - Let God Redeem Your Story
[10:40] - Recognize Why You Are Shifted
[13:08] - Contentment and Authenticity
[14:57] - Divine Shifts and Assignments
[17:31] - Living a Surrendered Life
[20:12] - Comfort vs. Calling
[22:12] - The Cost and Prize of Faith
[26:44] - Share the Favor You Are Shown
[33:58] - Favor Multiplies Opportunities
[39:45] - Esther Exposes Haman’s Plot
[42:35] - Using Favor for God’s Glory
[43:52] - Closing Encouragement

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Esther 4:13-16 (ESV) — > 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.”

1 Corinthians 1:3-4 (ESV) — > Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

Luke 9:23 (ESV) — > And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

Observation Questions

In Esther 4:13-16, what is Mordecai’s main message to Esther about her position as queen? What does he suggest about the reason she is where she is?
According to the sermon, what was Esther’s life like before she became queen, and how did God use her past? [[07:04]]
In 1 Corinthians 1:3-4, what does Paul say is the purpose of the comfort God gives us?
What does Jesus say is required of anyone who wants to follow Him in Luke 9:23?

Interpretation Questions

Why does Mordecai believe Esther’s position as queen is not just a matter of luck or personal achievement? How does this relate to the idea of “divine assignment”? [[14:57]]
The sermon says, “God never wastes a wound.” What does this mean in the context of Esther’s story and in our own lives? [[09:25]]
What does it look like to “deny yourself and take up your cross daily” in practical terms, according to the sermon? [[21:47]]
The pastor said, “Favor is not something to chase, but something that chases those who are fully surrendered to God’s call.” How does this challenge the way people usually think about success and blessing? [[27:40]]

Application Questions

The sermon teaches that God can redeem our pain and use it to help others. Can you think of a specific wound or hardship from your past that God might want to use to encourage someone else? What would it look like to let God redeem that part of your story? [[09:25]]
Have you experienced a “shift” in your life—a new job, role, or season—that you now realize might have been orchestrated by God? How did you view it at the time, and how might you see it differently now? [[15:21]]
The pastor said, “Comfort is often the greatest enemy of calling.” What is one area of your life where you are choosing comfort over obedience to God? What would it look like to step out in faith, even if it’s uncomfortable? [[20:12]]
Esther said, “If I perish, I perish.” Is there something God is asking you to do that feels risky or costly? What is holding you back from saying yes? [[21:47]]
The sermon emphasized that favor and blessing are given so we can bless others. What is one way you can use your influence, resources, or opportunities this week to serve someone else or point them to Jesus? [[33:58]]
The pastor challenged business owners and leaders to use their platform to talk about Jesus. If you have a position of influence (at work, in your family, or community), how can you be more intentional about sharing your faith? [[43:31]]
The message said, “You are crafted for your calling.” What is one unique aspect of your personality, past, or skills that God might want to use for His purpose? How can you offer that to Him this week? [[14:05]]

Sermon Clips

You can't find God's name one time. And at first glance, it looks like God is nowhere to be found. But I was reading about this forensic case. It was unsolved for 23 years. The murder case had gone cold until the cops, the law enforcement, they found the perpetrator's fingerprints on his five-year-old son's Legos. In other words, even though they couldn't find him, his fingerprints were all over it. And the same thing is true in the book of Esther. You can't find God's name, but his fingerprints are all over it. He's in the timing. He's in the turning. He's in the tables flipping. He's the unseen mastermind that is moving the pieces. [00:05:34] (45 seconds) #GodsFingerprints

Before there was a crown, there was a crisis. Before there was a palace, there was pain. Esther was a young woman who overcame a life where the odds were stacked against her. As a little girl, she lost both her father and mother. They died, and she was adopted by her uncle Mordecai. They lived the rest of their life as Jewish people in exile in Persia under the rule of a king who did not have any interest in the things of God. She had no advantage. She had no platform. She had no privilege. But I want to remind you that God never wastes a wound, that your past pain is a down payment on God's future promises in your life. [00:07:24] (43 seconds) #PurposeFromPain

Maybe you know what it looks like to feel like life is not working out for you. Maybe good breaks are not coming your way, but I want you to know that don't see everything as against you, see it as God reserving you. See it as God hiding you until it's time for him to show the world what he can do through you. [00:08:07] (21 seconds) #ReservedForGreatness

Somebody needs to understand that when God created you, he created you perfect for your purpose. You got the right personality, the right past, the right positioning, the right potential for what he's called you to be. He doesn't make mistakes. He makes masterpieces. You are custom designed by the creator of the world for the calling that he has placed on your life. [00:14:09] (24 seconds) #MasterpieceByDesign

If God has promoted you, it's not just so you can prosper, but it's you have a platform for his purpose. If God has blessed you, it's not just for comfort. It's for kingdom contribution. If God has opened doors for you, it's so his light can shine through you in places it would have never shined. [00:16:15] (19 seconds) #PlatformForPurpose

Some of you have been unusually blessed. You have more than you need. You have more connections, more access, more opportunity, more blessing, more resources. Here's what that means. That means God is calling you to share the favor that you have been shown. [00:33:54] (20 seconds)

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

What does it mean to live a surrendered life for God?

How can divine shifts be used for God's purpose?

In what ways does favor demonstrate God's unseen work?