Esther 4:14 is awesome. “And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Mordecai, Esther’s uncle, looks at all the pieces of her story, and the events that have led up to this day. And he looks at her and says, “Maybe this specific event is why God brought you through all of this!”  

I often wish that I had that kind of clear vision of purpose from the Lord. I think it would feel great to have someone say with assurance “See, this is why God put you here, and allowed you to go through all you did.”  

When I look back over 21 years of serving as an overseas worker, the list of difficult events our family has passed through is long. 

Illnesses, political turmoil, health crisis, near death experiences, opposition, family crisis (many of them), depression, robberies, car accidents, burnout, death, loneliness, deception, abuse, moving… and the list goes on. 

What was it all for? I have never had an Esther moment where I could know “Oh, it was all worth it because of THIS!”

I believe the reality is that as we seek to follow God with our lives, and live in service to Him, most of us will have Hebrews moments rather than Esther moments. Hebrews 11 lists men and women who followed God. And in the middle, verse 13 says “All these people were still living by faith when they died. Thy did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.”  

These men and women, people like Noah, Isaac, Joseph and Rahab did not necessarily know how their life and actions fit into the big picture of the world. They just followed God with what was in front of them, and trusted their lives to Him.  

I will probably never know why God allowed all He has into my life. I most likely will never understand many of the “whys”. But I know my greatest purpose. “And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of faith” Hebrews 12:1-2. 

My purpose is to be a faithful follower of Jesus Christ. The details are in His hands.