WORTH

And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this? Esther 4:14 NIV

 If you want to be blessed, play THIS while reading.

At the risk of saying something we have all heard many times before, it has come to my attention the enemy is seriously attacking believers, relentlessly.  The attacks are fierce, unfounded (for those in Christ Jesus) and just plain lies.

A perusal in Ephesians 1 will give us more than enough assurance of who we are in Christ:

For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight, (verse 4)

In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will (verse 5).

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.  Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit (verse 13).

The key would be our belief in Jesus as Saviour.  And this is available to all mankind.  Yet to all who received Him, to those who have believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12).

Having established our assured place in Christ and our worth in His sight, then why is it we doubt?  Why do we listen to the lies?  Why do we even struggle with something that has already been conquered?

This, this, is the twenty million dollar question.  It is because we take a second look at the lie, we believe what is whispered in our ears from the enemy (masquerading as a friend), and we put the tape on repeat in our own minds.  We ruminate on lies.  We chew them over repeatedly hoping to either swallow them whole or let them ferment further in our hearts and minds.

If they are lies – which they are – why do we entertain them?  If we are unsure, then we need to seek Truth and Truth has a name.  Jesus.  He will lead us into all truth.  He has given us Himself so we may walk this life in abundance – of faith, belief, Truth and power in His name.

It is when we finally lay down self and preconceived notions that we find Jesus waiting for us.  He is waiting for us to recognize Him in us.  It is His power, life and strength in which we can trust to accomplish the good work He has set for us.

We need to know this truth –

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:10 NIV

In advance.  Ahead of time.  Some of us like to plan ahead, some of us are last minute planners.  Make no mistake – God is the former.  He is Sovereign and nothing surprises Him or takes Him by surprise.  We can trust Him.  He has all the details worked out – even the most minute.  Praise God!

So how does this play out in real life?  How can you know what you are to do, what you are in each circumstance?  How can I walk daily knowing I am not alone and God has me here, right now for a reason?  And, most importantly, am I worth it in His eyes?

For starters, think of Esther.  She was a young maiden, sent off to a foreign land then sent to be a part of a king’s harem.  She was treated to beauty treatments for a year while she awaited her turn to be presented to the king - King Xerxes.  She found favor and became his queen.  That was the beginning of God’s plan to position her for the most important role yet – to be the voice of her people and bring to the king’s attention the evil plot of Haman to extinguish the Jewish people.

Her uncle, Mordecai, said the oft-quoted lines we have above,

And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this? Esther 4:14 NIV

God had a plan, He set into motion: Queen Esther to be in place for this momentous time.  Queen Vashti was removed and replaced by a Jewess who had a heart for her people and her God.  Esther stepped into this role, and carried out God’s plan – who else could give such a young woman incredible details and insight to get the chosen people together, coordinated, to fast and pray.

And the rest is history, so to speak.  Because of God’s Sovereign plan, He had one in place who He knew would chose life and chose to follow Him.  Esther did.  This young woman was perfect for this job – just like you are perfect for the one before you.

Each experience, each time in the Word, each step you have taken will give you the necessary tools to follow after Christ and be the one God uses.  You are worth it – to invest in, to use, to pour into, to love.

In turn, you can then pour into and love others, love God.

Are you in?

PRAYER

Father, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The God of Esther. The Father. Who gave His Son so I might be made right before Your eyes. And to have purpose in Your kingdom. On my own I am not worthy, but in Christ I am. Which makes all the difference. Thank You for the richness I have in Christ. All for me - I accept the gift and I accept for such as this.