{"id":301,"date":"2017-06-08T13:49:29","date_gmt":"2017-06-08T13:49:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/nextsteps\/?p=301"},"modified":"2017-06-08T13:49:29","modified_gmt":"2017-06-08T13:49:29","slug":"god-right-purpose-purpose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/nextsteps\/2017\/06\/god-right-purpose-purpose.html","title":{"rendered":"God Has You Right Where You Are On Purpose For a Purpose"},"content":{"rendered":"
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If you’ve questioned whether or not you’re living a mistake, then this one’s for you. Maybe you look around and ask yourself, “how did I end up here?” Perhaps you backed into your career or you temporarily moved to a city and here you are, twenty-five years later. Maybe you got married for the wrong reasons and now you seem stuck in a relationship that’s upside down. Or maybe your rebelled against God and you know it, and now you’re living the consequences. However you get there, we all face moments when we wonder whether or not we’re living a mistake.<\/p>\n

If that’s you, then the story of Esther should give you hope. Living in a foreign land, forced into a marriage she didn’t choose, Esther finds herself married to King Xerxes, ruler of the Medes and Persians and the man who just signed a death warrant for the Jewish refugees living in his empire. Her own identity (as a Jew) a secret, Esther has to wrestle with whether or not to try and change the king’s mind, even though there’s significant personal danger for her if she does. In this moment of crisis her uncle Mordecai steps in and reminds Esther of the sovereignty of God and that God has Esther right where she is on purpose for a purpose. Here’s what the Bible says:<\/p>\n

When Esther\u2019s words were reported to Mordecai,<\/span> he sent back this answer: \u201cDo not think that because you are in the king\u2019s house you alone of all the Jews will escape.<\/span> For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father\u2019s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai:<\/span> <\/em>\u201cGo, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.\u201d<\/em> Esther 4:12-16<\/span><\/p>\n

It doesn’t matter if you planned on being where you’ve ended up in life. It doesn’t matter if you backed into your career or not. It doesn’t matter if you think your marriage is a mistake or not. God has you right where you are on purpose for a purpose. Trust in His sovereignty and His plan.<\/p>\n

QUESTION: In what area of your life do you need to remind yourself that God has you right where He wants you on purpose for a purpose?<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you’ve questioned whether or not you’re living a mistake, then this one’s for you. Maybe you look around and ask yourself, “how did I end up here?” Perhaps you backed into your career or you temporarily moved to a city and here you are, twenty-five years later. Maybe you got married for the wrong…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":607,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[179,27,172,132],"class_list":["post-301","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-next-steps","tag-esther","tag-god","tag-old-testament","tag-purpose"],"yoast_head":"\nGod Has You Right Where You Are On Purpose For a Purpose - Next Steps<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you've ever questioned whether or not you're living a mistake, then this one's for you. 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