Friday, October 30, 2009

For such a time as this. Do not remain silent!





Goodness, I am sitting here trying to put the whole conference together in a few short paragraphs and am struggling so much! Bear with me. I may exceed my word count for today, but I promise it will be well worth your time.

I'll begin by sharing a few points I brought up to the women last weekend. It was on my heart to encourage and I feel impressed to share with you too.

In the book of Esther many of us are familiar with the latter part of chapter four, verse fourteen, "...and who knows but that you have come to a royal position for such a time as this?" as Mordecai implores Esther to take on the potentially deadly task of appealing to the King - in the hopes that the Jews will not be slaughtered.

We are familiar with that part of scripture above, but do you know the words before that fateful line? Here is the whole verse below.

"For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" Esther 4:14

I want to focus for a minute on the first line back there, "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place..." God has a plan. He really doesn't need us for His plan. As much as we think He does, He really doesn't. In this verse above Mordecai tells Esther she has a choice. She can remain silent or she can petition the King. If her fear holds her back from this task, God WILL find another He can use to deliver her people. It's as simple as that. If we are not willing, God WILL find another to fulfill His plan.

I LOVE to bake cookies. I have been baking cookies for thirty plus years, so I really don't need any help. But, when my daughter Grace drags a chair over to where I'm baking my heart fills with joy. You see, I actually make a much better cookie if she isn't underfoot. And to be honest with you, I always have to clean up her messes.

BUT, to watch her learning to bake cookies, to be a part of teaching her and having her close beside me as we work together, making memories and growing in our relationship, goodness, there isn't anything better than that. You see girls, God feels the same way about us. He doesn't need us to fulfill His good works here on earth, but He loves us so much He desires us to play a part. He wants us close beside Him as His plans unfold.

The Lord desires we offer ourselves to be willing participants for His plan for our lives. But, always the gentleman He never forces us to do anything we don't want to do.

I don't know about you, but I am jumping up and down with my arms raised in the air. I'm shouting out to the Lord, "Pick me! Pick me!" I want to experience every single thing He has in store for my life. Every good work He created me for- I want to experience. He has promised me an abundant life in Him, and I am holding Him to His Word!

Friends, I don't want to remain silent. I don't want fear to hold me back from all He has for me. That's one of the reasons I got on a plane last week and was launched like a rocket across our beautiful U.S. of A. to Florida. In the past two years I have begun saying "YES" to God and my life hasn't been the same.

My prayer is that by the time He takes me home, I will run into His embrace completely poured out and exhausted. Wiping away my very last tear, He will turn me around and wave his arm towards my eternal reward and whisper, "All of your trials, all of your pain, all of your work...you were faithful to Me for such a time as this."

16 comments:

Mari said...

I love this! The comparison between you making cookies and us helping God really struck a point with me.

Eyeglasses & Endzones said...

Great post. I love that blogs can inspire me spiritually. It really is awesome to hear things from others perspectives

Donetta said...

Hello giggles
I enjoyed your post. It was so nice to share the week end with you.
Enjoy that possum :)

Fiona @ A little bit of honesty said...

Thanks for your kind words on my blog today.
I'm jumping up and down too - pick me Lord!
I love that we were created for such a time as this....

christy rose said...

Great illustration Joanne! God could have chosen a different way to show Himself to the world other than us and frankly if we would have just solely revealed Himself, He would have done a much better job than we do. But, you are so right. He loved us too much to not include us! He wants us to be a part of Him! He wants us to share our lives with Him and He wants to share His Life with us! There isn't any other reason that He created us other than to be with us and love us! Makes loving Him a little easier when we know that, huh? :)

Charlotte said...

You probably already know how much I love that verse in Esther.

Your last paragraph reminded me of one of my favorite quotes -

"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would have not a single bit of talent left and could say, 'I used everything You gave me.'"
Erma Bombeck

I think God has given you a lot of talent because he knows he can trust you to not waste it...to use everything he has given you.

Blessings ~
Charlotte

Denise said...

Such an awesome post, be blessed.

Denise said...

This reminds me of Isaiah 6 when Isaiah has his vision of the Lord. He knows that he deserves not to be in the presence of God. I doubt he would consider his "unclean" lips useful vessels BUT GOD...a hot coal from the altar and a few verses later Isaiah is like a 2nd grader wanting so desperately to be picked by the teacher....ME, ME, Here I am, Send me!


Like Esther, Isaiah and you my friend, I want to be used by our creator. I don't want to miss any more opportunties to play a part in His plans.

Shalom,
Denise

Debbie Petras said...

I too desire to be used by our Creator. I so agree with you that He has Kingdom plans and we can choose to surrender our agendas and allow Him to work in and through us. I want that so badly. But sometimes my flesh gets in the way and I hate when I sucumb to it. I'm thankful that He is so gracious, forgiving, merciful and full of grace.

I love Esther. I took one of the quizzes on Facebook to find out what book of the Bible I most resemble after answering some questions. It was actually developed by Roselyn Elliott who often comments on my blog. :) I came out an Esther and was thrilled.

So much is going on in my life right now. I so want to allow the Lord to work through my circumstances so that He will be glorified. Sometimes, it can be too easy to give in but I want to count for His Kingdom purposes for such a time as this.

Thank you for this very timely post. I think you wrote it for me or at least I needed the reminder along with many others, I'm sure.

Blessings,
Debbie

Anonymous :) said...

I'm just glad God chooses to use people who could not do it without Him, totally surrendered.

LisaShaw said...

Can you feel my arms around you?

Can you feel me shouting with praise unto the LORD with you?

Can you hear me saying along with you, "pick me" or what I say is "Here I am Lord, send me for your glory".

Girl I'm so with you and your message has me balling in tears and you know how ugly that can be when I'm busting out in tears (smile).

Joanne, I so love your sweet heart. We've got to phone-talk soon dear sister.

LOVE YOU and remember GOD IS USING YOU and His continued plans for you are more than you would even imagine and for your family so GET READY GET READY GIRL!

Keep giving GOD all the praise.

Unknown said...

Thank you! What a blessing! I love this verse... it is a good reminder. Especially what you focused on. This is beautiful! Thank you! Now that I've used my quota for exclamation marks in one comment... I will go.

Barbara said...

What an amazing post. The message and the illustrations are so vivid and speak straight to the heart. It has brought tears to my eyes and praise to my heart. God is working through you....that is for certain. Have a blessed week.

Karen said...

Wow...what a beautifully worded reminder of the love of God the Father...I don't want to remain silent either or "have ANYTHING hold me back from all He has for me"...great post!

Aunt Angie said...

Oh I loved that!

God is doing a continual work...in every single one of us! Who would have ever dreamed this dream....that first meeting in the She Speaks reception room for bloggers...I will never forget that! You absolutely glowed (besides the yellow shirt) with JESUS! I was thrilled at the excitement I heard in your voice then...the incredulity at God being so intimately involved in your day to day...

I am that way too!

Jumping up and down...making sure HE knows=---I'm HIS and whatever---wherever---whenever....I'm HIS girl!

I love you dear friend!

I can't wait to see WHAT's NEXT!!!

prashant said...

Great post. I love that blogs can inspire me spiritually. It really is awesome to hear things from others perspectives Work From Home

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