Welcome back to part 3 of our 5 part series on Discovering Who You Are and What You Were Made For.
In part 1, we discovered why it’s important we understand our identity (you can read it in its entirety by clicking here).
Part 2 taught us that we are a letter to God chosen to broadcast his marvelous works.
I want to share in part 3 why you’re the right person for the job.
The devil will try to convince you that you’re not the right person for the job but remember, you have the power over him!
What is Qarah and What Does it Mean?
...the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong,
nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the men of understanding nor
favor to men of skill;
but time and chance happen to them all.
Ecclesiastes 9:11
Qarah, the word in Ecclesiastes 9:11 is translated, in the right place at the right time.
This word doesn’t mean chance, it means “God Appointment” (Source).
Being at the right place at the right time doesn’t just happen, it is set up by God who is the master of orchestrating events for his children.
A Qarah Moment
There was a Qarah moment that happened to an individual in the Bible and we can learn a lot if we look at their story in detail.
Hold on to your seat, this is going to be quite the story.
Verse
If you stay silent now, relief for the Jews will come from somebody else
but you and your father's family will die. And who knows but that
you have come to a royal position for such a time as this?
Esther 4:14
I hope that you will allow me the liberty to paraphrase a majority of this story for the sake of time, and to make it easier to understand.
You can read all of the story in the book of Esther in the Bible if you’re interested.
The Story
One day, a King named Xerxes was tired of being embarrassed so he kicked his queen, Vashti to the curb.
While sitting alone in the palace, one of his men recommended a beauty pageant so that the king could find another queen.
Xerxes thought a beauty pageant sounded like a good idea so he asked his men to bring beautiful, young, virgins, from every city to the palace so that they could be given a spa day.
He would give the girl he liked most the crown.
In a town called Susa lived a girl named Esther.
The Bible says she “had a lovely figure and was beautiful”.
Esther was everything the king could want so his men chose to bring her to the pageant.
While at the palace, she won over the heart of one of the king’s men.
He immediately began to treat her with beauty treatments and special food.
Before long, he moved her and her servants into one of the finest rooms available.
After completing her beauty regimen (can you imagine a 12 month beauty regimen?) she was allowed to go before the king.
When in the presence of the king, everyone in the throne room liked her.
The king liked her more than the other women so he made her queen.
He threw a banquet to celebrate.
After the banquet, he declared a national holiday to celebrate her (imagine an entire kingdom celebrating your birthday, ahhh magical).
A Turning Point
Not long after the big events, Mordecai (Esther’s cousin who had raised her from infancy) made the king’s right hand man (Haman) mad because he wouldn’t bow and worship him.
Haman decided that it would be best to annihilate every Jew in the entire kingdom because of Mordecai’s actions.
Haman convinced the king all Jews should be killed.
He told the king he would pay him 10,000 talents (several million dollars in today’s currency) if it were done.
The king told Haman to keep the money and do with the people whatever he wanted.
After talking to the king, Haman made a decree that every Jew should die.
Mordecai told Esther the news of the decree and begged her to go before the king and ask for mercy for the Jews.
Long story short, Esther begged the king to have mercy on her and her family (the Jews) and the king granted her request.
Esther was able to save the Jews from annihilation because she was at the right place at the right time.
A Trick of the Devil
There is so much behind this story, dear one.
You see, Esther had never told the king or anyone else in the palace that she was a Jew because Mordecai had asked her not to.
Working in substance abuse, I have learned that some individuals are ashamed of their family ties.
There are times I have to ask hard questions such as “does anyone in your family have a problem with drug or alcohol addiction”?
When I ask hard questions, there can be some hesitation and even tears because they can’t bear the thought of admitting they grew up with parents who struggled with addiction.
The individuals I work with can feel like they are part of a minority population, so they even attempt to hide their cultural identities as well.
The devil is a master illusionist and will try to convince you that because of your family ties, you cannot do the work that God has called you to do.
He will try to convince you that you need to keep your family ties a secret.
However, God will orchestrate moments where he will ask you to share your past with someone else.
The Bible says “they overcame him by the blood of the lamb, and the word of their testimony” (Revelation 12:11).
Don’t hide who you are or where you’ve came from, but instead share your testimony with others.
You are the Right Person
Dear one, please don’t allow the devil to make you ashamed of who you are or where you came from.
You are the right person for the job at hand.
This is your moment.
This is your time to do the job that God has called you to do.
Know this, God can use work or simple conversations to bring glory to himself.
Perhaps these events that appear miniscule are Qarah moments.
Maybe what feels like mundane tasks, are God appointed times that you were created for.
Walk in confidence without shame.
Know that you are exactly the person equipped for the task at hand.
Have faith and rest assured knowing that God will help you if you’ll place your trust in him.
Could I take a moment to pray for you?
Prayer
God,
I pray for the person reading this right now.
Break any guilt or shame that the devil may have them bound in.
I pray that as they go about their day, they would recognize that you have appointed them to share your love with someone else.
God, I pray that you would give this individual a fresh fire.
Give them a fresh anointing, and a fresh boldness to share what you have brought them from.
I pray that you would give them the words to speak.
Help them not to hide who they are, but to proclaim the truth.
Give them courage to share every part of their story, whether they think it is good or bad so others may see what you’ve done in them and glorify you.
I pray that you would guide the footsteps of those who are reading this post.
Please continue to orchestrate events so that they can be used in a mighty way to do work for you.
Thank you, God for ordaining moments and guiding us to the places we go.
Thank you for bringing us to a position for “such a time as this”.
Thank you, God for being intimately involved in our lives.
In Jesus name I pray,
Amen
Thank you for this encouraging message, Miranda! Thank you also reminding me how my job I’m at right now is my God appointment, through your post.
Thank God that he could use this to help you. Praying for you as you go about your day at work. Praying that he continues to use you to bless others at work and anywhere else you may be. God bless you!