Circumstances

Sometimes life feels very random. Sometimes it feels like the universe is just throwing things at us say “Let’s see what they do with this!”

I want to state up front that I think there are things that are just random. I don’t buy into the idea that everything that happens is God’s will and that he has a plan. I believe God is sovereign, but I also believe he made a world where humans have free will. And the devil has free will. And so cities get bombs. Children get cancer. Dogs get run over. Not everything goes the way God wants it right now.

But at the same time, I don’t believe everything is just random either. That sometimes, if we look closely, we will see that the situations in our life seem to have been guided through numerous circumstances - and that behind those circumstances there is a loving hand.

I think about becoming a pastor...

Last thing on my mind - hoped to be discipleship pastor

Faced with a moment of crisis - former pastor asked me to lunch - you’re the guy

One of those moments when you’d really appreciate a burning bush or writing in the sky - NEVER GOT IT

Instead, what I got was a history of circumstances

It just so happened that I have always been drawn to churchy things

it just so happened that I got opportunities to learn about church admin and pastoral work through leading small groups

It just so happened that what I liked to read was theology - which prepared my mind

It just so happened that I was led to this church - a story of its own

It just so happened that one day, a door was opened - that I could choose to walk through or not

It just so happened that people in my life - especially my wife - confirmed the calling, even though I had a hard time seeing it.

What I would have loved is a clear sign. What I got instead was a long series of seemingly random circumstances that, when I looked closely, appeared that God was guiding me to this point my whole life.

And I bet if you looked closely you’d see that there are circumstances that maybe weren’t so random that have led you to where you are today.

This morning I want to look at the book of Esther and at one of the main ways we can hear God’s voice if we’re listening - through our circumstances.

Pray...

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Interestingly, God is never mentioned one time in the book of Esther. Yet his guiding hand - in and through circumstances - is on every page.

Before I read the passage for this morning I need to give some backstory...

In 526 Jerusalem is overrun by Babylonians. All important and prominent families taken to Babylon and dispersed through rest of empire.

Several decades later, Babylon is conquered by the Persian empire. The Persian king allowed Jews to begin returning to homeland. But many stayed. They’d made a new life.

One of these Jewish families that stayed was led by a man named Mordecai. He lived in the Persian capital of Susa. He had a young cousin named Esther that he raised bc her parents had both died.

Through what appears as random circumstances, the current queen is deposed bc she wouldn’t obey her husband.

The king eventually wants a new queen, so all the beautiful virgins in the city are brought to him. He picks this young Jewish girl named Esther - although he doesn’t know her background.

Time goes by and a guy named Haman gets promoted to be the kings right hand man. But he and Mordecai get crossways, and so through deceit he tricks the king into issuing an edict that all the Jews in the empire be killed and their property confiscated.

Mordecai finds out about this and goes to, now queen Esther, to ask her to use her position to intervene. She reminds Mordecai of the law that no one my appear before the king unless summoned under penalty of death.

We pick up the story with Mordecai’s response...

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Esther 4:13–17 “Do not think that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father’s family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.” Then Esther said in reply to Mordecai, “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will also fast as you do. After that I will go to the king, though it is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.”

I want to draw out three things we can learn about hearing God’s voice through our circumstances.

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First, Hearing God’s voice through your circumstances often begins with a moment of crisis.

For Esther, that crisis was the potential annihilation of her people. But crisis doesn’t necessarily mean emergency like in her case. A crisis point just means a moment of decision. Where you’re faced with a choice.

You’re walking in the woods and the trail splits. Which way will you go? That’s a crisis point.

You’re approaching graduation and you have to decide what to do for a career. Crisis moment.

You’re offered a new opportunity at work but it means leaving behind what you are comfortable with. Crisis.

For me, my moment of crisis was a lunch with the pastor.

Mordecai says two things worth hearing:

You can’t ignore the crisis. Deciding not to decide is to decide by default. You can’t stand at the fork in the trail indefinitely.

God will accomplish his plans with or without you. By saying “no” you don’t keep his ultimate plans from happening; you just miss out on the blessing of being part of them.

There will be times in your life where you reach a moment of decision and you begin to realize that maybe you’re not here by accident.

Hearing God’s voice through our circumstances begins with a crisis. And then we discover the second thing.

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Hearing Gods’ voice through your circumstances means becoming aware of your providential placement.

Think for a moment about how Esther got to where she was. It just so happened that...

She was born to exiled Jews in the Persian empire.

She lived in the capital city.

The current queen was deposed.

She was one of the young women selected to appear before the king.

If you read the preceding chapters, she was favored by the eunuchs that took care of the harem.

The king fell in love with her.

She, a Jewish girl, became queen at precisely the moment when the fate of the Jewish people was at stake.

Mordecai’s words bring these random circumstances into the light: “Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.”

Mordecai is putting together pieces that Esther hasn’t. Her journey from orphan to queen wasn’t random but divinely orchestrated. It’s not coincidence, it’s providence. That God was behind the scenes all along moving pieces and people, opening and closing doors, to bring her to this place. So what would she do with this opportunity?

It would be worth reflecting on your own journey. What are the unique skills, connections, experiences, or positions of influence do you hold? What "royal dignity" (whether large or seemingly small) has God given you? Are they accidental, or has He placed you there "for such a time as this"?

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Finally, Hearing God’s voice through your circumstances demands a courageous response.

Esther listens to Mordecai. She sees that her life hasn’t just been a series of random accidents, but that she has been brought to this place in time by the hand of God. And so she takes action.

But now we learn something about hearing God in our circumstances by what she does:

Look for confirmation. She thinks Mordecai may be right, but she is also aware that he could be wrong. And so she calls for the community to fast with her and seek God’s guidance. She wants confirmation. God does lead through circumstances. But sometimes random events are just that - random. Not every door that opens is opened by God. Not every door that closes is being closed by God. And so it is always wise, even when circumstances look like they’ve been arranged by God, to seek further counsel and confirmation. But once that happens, the next thing we learn...

Make a decisive commitment. She’s listened to Mordecai. She’s asked for the aid of others. She has sought God in prayer. She is as sure as she is going to be. And so she commits: “I will go to the king, though it is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.” Notice, there is no absolute certainty. I NEVER got absolute certainty about my decision to become a pastor before the fact. She sees her circumstances. She seeks God’s help and others. And she goes for it. As John Wimber was fond of saying: Faith is spelled R-I-S-K.

Where is God calling you to “go to the king”, to take a step of faith and act upon the circumstances he’s placed you in? Maybe it’s about a major life choice. Maybe it’s about a calling to do something for the kingdom of God. Maybe it’s something less drastic like deciding to trust God with your finances. Is it possible that God has brought you to this point for such a time as this? What will you do?

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God leads through our circumstances. Again, I have to give caution: not everything is God. A cardinal landing outside your window is not necessarily a sign to sell your home and become a missionary to Rwanda. Sometime a bird is just a bird. Enjoy it!

But sometimes you find yourself at a moment of crisis when you’re faced with a decision. You reflect on where you are and what brought you to this place, and you begin to feel that an invisible hand has been guiding you along, putting the pieces together. And so now is the time to commit yourself to the Lord and go for it.

Esther’s story obviously has a happy ending. After the time of fasting is complete she goes and appears before the king. By God’s grace, he holds his royal scepter out to her, indicating that she has his favor and may approach. Because she recognized God’s voice in her circumstances, the Jewish people were saved. The celebrate their deliverance every year to this day during the feast of Purim. BTW - if you find the Bible boring, read Esther. Tons of intrigue and drama!

Esther’s life wasn’t just random. She wasn’t where she was by accident.

And neither are you.

What scripture and personal experience tell me is that we are not at the mercy of the cosmos. Life isn’t just random. Not always, but often, you can detect the loving hand of God behind the scenes moving the pieces of your life both for his divine Will and your ultimate good. This is the promise we have from the apostle Paul:

Romans 8:28 “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”

Where are you right now? What are the needs around you? What are the unique gifts, resources, or influence God has given you in these specific circumstances? Could you have been placed here, in this job, in this neighborhood, in this family, with this skill, in this church, for such a time as this?"

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Communion

Have them stand… Invite the worship team forward…

Let’s rejoice with all Gods’ people in the words of Psalm 37:

Psalm 37:23–24 NRSV

Our steps are made firm by the Lord, when he delights in our way; though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, for the Lord holds us by the hand.

Thank God that life isn’t just a big accident. That our loving Father is behind the scenes working things out for our good. For our ultimate good he reconciled us to himself through the life, death, and resurrection of your Son, Jesus.

Through the blood of the cross he has washed our sins away. Through his victorious resurrection he has guaranteed us eternal life. Through his ascension and the outpouring of the Spirit he has made us one with you.

We remember Him who for us and for our salvation, on the night that he was betrayed...

Come Holy Spirit and overshadow these elements. Let them be for us your body and blood so that we can participate in your redemptive work for us. May we find mercy, healing and salvation through the finished work of the cross. Amen.