Cherish the moment!

who knows, perhaps you have come to your royal position for a time such as this...

-Esther 4:14

This week in worship we are going to be looking at one of my favorite Bible verses. (Ok, I get that I have a lot of favorite verses… but I really do like this one!)  The book of Esther is the story of a Jewish girl.  In the beginning of the book, Esther seems rather unremarkable.  She lived in exile in a foreign land, and her people were being oppressed by the Persian Empire. In a dramatic change of fortunes, Esther becomes the Queen over the entire land.  If this were a classic fairy tale, the story would end there.  Esther would marry the King and her rags to riches story would be complete.  However, this book is not a fairy tale, and her story was just getting started.  Esther still feels ordinary.  She is still filled with doubts and unbelief.  When her people are in danger, she does not believe she can offer any kind of hope. 

Most of us understand that life is not a fairy tale.  We never reach a point of happily ever after, because we are always plagued by unbelief and failure.  The beauty of the book of Esther is discovering what true hope is all about.  If we find ourselves wishing for the perfect moment, we will wind up wishing our lives away.  Instead, if we recognize that each day is a gift, we will discover what God is really doing.

Personally, I want to start seeing every moment as sacred.  Yes, my kids are going to cry.  I will make mistakes, and sometimes it will look like the world is going to fall apart.  However, God is calling us to cherish this moment.  Let us open our hearts and seize the day!

Blessings!

Brian