For Such a Time as This
Yellow rose in bloom.
Growing up in a Christian family, I was exposed to the real life stories of the Bible from a young age. I can still picture my dad coming home from work and preparing us for bedtime by reading us Bible stories. I remember being so fascinated with the heroes of the Bible - the story of David and Goliath was probably my favorite and I could listen to it over and over again. If your childhood was similar, then you've heard of the many different characters of the Bible. The stories of Joseph, Gideon, David, and of Esther are among the most popular, and their lives have inspired many.
Much time has passed since then, and on one of the days I was reading from 1 Kings 18 and I was surprised to find a character that I didn’t hear about before and just didn’t notice. Even though the story is about Elijah, the person who drew my attention was a man by the name of Obadiah. Have you heard of him before? I've read this chapter multiple times, but this name never stood out to me like it did now.
Below are a few facts about Obadiah from the passage in 1 Kings 18:
he was in charge of king Ahab's palace
he was a devout believer in the Lord
he took 100 of the Lord's prophets, hid them in caves and supplied bread and water for them (this was when the queen was seeking to kill all of the Lord's prophets)
and he had worshipped the Lord since his youth
Having listed these, below are some things I got out of it:
Obadiah kept the faith he was taught in his youth, and was known as a believer in the place where he was
Obadiah was fearful at times
Obadiah put his life in danger for the sake of others
Obadiah respected the authority that was above him, but he did not deny his own beliefs
As I was finishing the chapter, I realized I just read about another Joseph or Esther. It's another real hero story that very few people talk about. It's another life used by God to take care of His people. And it’s a life that is so similar to your life and mine.
He has prepared you all along for such a time as this - to be His voice and speak truth, to be His hands and feet that serve and sacrifice for others, to invest in His kingdom, to show Christ.
Obadiah was fearful, yet courageous, and he kept his faith even in a time when that could’ve been punished severely. We too are fearful at times and show courage at other times, but if we choose to fear God instead of man, He can do great things through us. Most likely, we don’t find ourselves in a king’s palace, but the position we are in at work or at school or in our community, the platform we stand on, has been given to us for a reason. Though we don’t see the big picture, there is something greater going on. God has a work to do with us as we surrender our lives to Him and obey what He tells us to do.
God is not limited by our limitations.
Our weaknesses do not stop God from working great things and displaying His strength through us. Sometimes we look at our lives and think that what we have to offer does not have much value or that our job is not that important. Like Obadiah, we are called to be faithful and obedient. A surrendered life to God has a greater impact and influence than we might think. God told Paul in 2 Corinthians 12 that His grace was sufficient and that His power is made perfect in weakness, and the same word is valid for us today as well. When we rely on God and not on our own strength or intellect or talents, we can do all that God has called us to do, despite our limitations.
“But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.“ (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
Purpose is not found in a ministry.
And one other thing that came to mind from this passage. Our purpose is not found in our jobs or in what we do for God, but our purpose is found in Christ. Our identity comes from Him not from our jobs or ministries. As we live out who He called us to be and are obedient to Him, we will walk into all He has for us. Our part is to abide in Him, to let His word abide in us, like it says in John 15, and do what He says.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
Wherever you might be, God has given you a platform. Allow Him to work through you to serve this generation. You have been created for such a time as this.
“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?” (Esther 4:14)
