In the midst of all the chaos that is 2020, we can forget that we were designed with a purpose for a purpose. Fear, judgment, and defensiveness leave us wondering what on earth has happened to the world we once knew.
But like Mordecai told Esther, “Who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14) Like God chose Esther at a specific time in history and made her in the womb of the exact woman who would drop her into one of Israel’s most desperate times of need, it is no accident that each of us find ourselves in the year 2020 in the exact community where we live.
God is not surprised by the events of this year, nor is He absent from the effects the year’s tragedies and tensions have had on each of us. But He is present, He is good, and He does good. (Psalm 119:68) While we are mourning the loss of our old lives, He is holding out a hand, waiting for us to get up and realize the Great Commission has not been put on hold just because our hopes and dreams have.
Wherever you are, whether you’re looking at this on your phone or reading it on your computer, whether you were supposed to be on a business trip that got cancelled or whether you should have been celebrating your dad’s birthday who is now six feet in the ground, God is there. He knew all along. And He’s still good.
We cannot use our present realities and circumstances to shape our theology. Who God is never changes, and His Word does not return void in our lives. And just think: He created you for this moment, right here, right now! He chose you to be a mother in this time. He entrusted His most precious children to be stewarded and guided by you in an unprecedented time of the unknown. He trusted that the foundation you’ve built with Him, the time you’ve spent with Him over the years, and His truth you’ve embedded in your heart would be combined with the Holy Spirit to bring up the next generation of faith warriors in this time! Is there a greater honor than that? Instead of feeling abandoned, we should feel honored!
Hebrews 12 says that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses made up of those who have gone before us and fought the good fight of faith. They were all proven faithful in their lifetimes, and they served a divine purpose for their generations and their families. And now they fill the grandstand of heaven, cheering us on, watching as God releases the storehouses of heaven’s blessings into our lives in ways we would least expect.
So because of these witnesses who surround us, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, so that we will not grow weary and lose heart! If we lift our eyes above the racial tensions, above the global pandemic, and above the political hatred, we’ll find the love that leads us through the treacherous waters of it all. We’ll find a hand that guides us when we feel inadequate, when we feel used up, when we feel like we have nothing left to give. We’ll find the arms of a Shepherd holding us close to His chest, whispering, “Take heart, Dear One, I have overcome the world.”
For such a time as this you have been chosen. For such a time as this you have been called. For such a time as this you have been positioned with purpose. Go forth, Mighty Warrior, and lead with the flame of destiny ignited in your heart.
by Tera Bradham
Tera Bradham is an author, speaker, podcast host, and fitness coach, but she has also been a Spanish teacher, a swimming coach, a journalist, and a travel vlogger. After growing up in Round Rock, Texas, she swam for the University of Arkansas and for Texas A&M University before heading to South America on a year of missions with the World Race. God added another plot twist to her life when she met the man of her dreams, who happened to be from Montana. She now relishes the beauty of Bozeman’s mountains each day with her husband, Jacob. Her heart’s deepest passion is for others to know her extraordinary God who makes every day a miraculous adventure. More information can be found at terabradham.com.
