We are called to fulfill God's purpose.

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Although we often cannot see it, God is always shaping and, even more so, equipping to fulfill His purposes in and through us.

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After these things had passed, when King Ahasuerus's anger had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and the judgment against her. 2 Then the king's servants, his courtiers, said, "Let there be selected young virgins of beauty for the king. 3 Let the king appoint officials throughout all the provinces of his kingdom to bring all the young virgins of beauty to Susa the royal palace, to the women's quarters, to the care of Hegai, the king's eunuch, who was in charge of the women. Let them give them their finery. 4 Let the maiden who pleases the king reign in Vashti's place." This pleased the king, and he did so.

5 Now there was in Susa the royal palace a Jewish man named Mordecai son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, of the family of Benjamin. 6 He had been carried away captive from Jerusalem with the captives who had been taken with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away. 7 He had raised Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter, for she was an orphan. The young woman was beautiful and comely. When her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.
8 Now it came to pass, when the king's commandment and decree had been made public, and many maidens had been gathered to Susa the royal palace under Hegai, that Esther was also taken to the king's palace, to the care of Hegai, the keeper of the women.

Esther 2:1-8

Today we have this text from the Book of Esther, a book filled with intrigue, danger, and adventure. The main character lived an ordinary life, but it suddenly became much more attractive when she was crowned queen of Persia. Here we notice even more of God's powerful hand intervening in her life, leaving an indelible mark on her history. That's all we can appreciate today from this reading. But can we even imagine how insecure or confused Esther felt throughout this process?

We may be experiencing the same difficulty or complexity in our lives day after day because we simply don't know what the future holds. Sometimes it's much easier to contemplate God's call on someone else's life, but this is easier in someone else's life than in our own. God's plans and purposes for us are unfolding step by step in a perfect way, yet from our earthly perspective, all these events can be chaotic or disastrous, depending on our own needs.

Reading the story of Esther is a powerful encouragement for us to trust in God's will and, above all, in his purposes, even when we can't see anything before our eyes. By trusting in God, a promising future awaits us, for he holds everything in his hands, including each one of us.

God's calling is not only about what we will do, but also about who we are. Every experience in life is a tool God is using to mold us, equip us, and refine every characteristic within us, thus making us who God desires us to be for his glory and honor. Starting today, may we begin to seek God's hand in our lives, for he is always there, directing us and moving in our favor.