Good morning… or afternoon… or evening! I pray that you have had a wonderful week thus far. I wanted to share what the Lord has been speaking to me recently!

God has called to my attention the stories of Esther and Joseph. These stories in the Bible are monumental when it comes to faith and trusting the Lord and His process, which as we know can be a difficult feat at times. If you haven’t read them, I highly suggest doing that! The Lord has brought me to a specific revelation regarding both of these accounts that I’d like to share today.

Starting in Esther 4, where Mordecai shares with Esther, via the eunuch Hathach, the plot Haman orchestrated to kill the Jews and is asking her to make a request to the King. In the 14th verse it says, “…Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” Often times, the Lord positions us in places to fulfill our calling and we don’t even realize it. We waste our opportunities to act out our divine purpose because our perspectives are trained to see the lack and risk but not the possibility. Esther could have been killed just by approaching the King within his inner court without invitation. She also knew that she would have to explain her heritage as a Jew, which no one was aware of at the time. This would solidify her death should the plan for the Jews be actuated. She could have said no because the risk was too great. She could have hidden her heritage because it was safer. She could have been unwilling to use her position as Queen to be obedient to the Lord. Yet She placed her trust in Him, she prayed and fasted, and God revealed Himself faithful yet again. He had gone before her and prepared the way. She had FAVOR, she had ANNOINTING, she had been CALLED and therefore EQUIPPED for such a time as this. She walked with courage, and because of this, the Jews were able to defend themselves and come out as victors. The account of Esther is just one show of God’s divine positioning.

Which brings me to Joseph’s story. If you do not know this account, start reading in Genesis 37! The Lord is showing me that His faithfulness doesn’t always appear how we think it will. Sometimes His faithfulness brings us to situations that are uncomfortable in order to position us for victory. Throughout every turn of events in Joseph’s story, the favor of God was with him. From being sold into slavery, becoming the head of house for Potiphar, being accused of attempted rape, to being thrown in prison, God had his hand on Joseph. God had prepared the way and created divine appointments in every position Joseph found himself holding. I am finding that the Lord’s blessings, favor, and faithfulness are not limited by our titles, our positions, or our situations. Rather our titles, positions, and situations are held subject to God’s blessings, favor, and faithfulness. If Joseph had not been to prison, he would not have had the opportunity to interpret the dreams of the two men. Thus, the man would not have been able to use him as a referral for Pharoah when his dreams required interpreting. Joseph was obedient to the Lord even as a slave and he was blessed because of it. Joseph didn’t understand the purpose of his situation at the time, but God knew what he was doing and Joseph trusted that. Joseph didn’t waste the positions he was put in, but he used them for God’s glory.

In my life, I have wasted the positions I have been placed in on many occasions. I focused on the lack instead of the opportunity. I recently heard a story about a man who had an amazing job. He was fired with no notice and with no cause, but he knew the Lord and he had a great resume. He thought he would be back on his feet quickly. However, he ended up having to work in the shoe department at a store for less than what he made in college. He slowly grew weary and didn’t understand what was going on. One day he was complaining to his friend, to which his friend asks him, “Have you asked God why He has you there?” The man realized He had not, so the next day when he walked into work, he asked the Lord to show Him the purpose of this. It just so happened that he struck up a conversation with one of the people he had been working closely with. That person said they were planning on committing suicide if God didn’t make himself known by a certain time that day. The man went on to talk and pray with that person and share the love of Jesus. What would have happened had he not taken the time to realize the divine positioning and been obedient? How does this translate to our own lives? For a long time, I have thought my situation in life to be unusable, unsuccessful, and bleak. I let my situation define me and define the Lord’s faithfulness in my life. When in reality I should be trusting the Lord’s understanding. Perhaps I have been chosen to be in this position for such a time as this. Perhaps you have been chosen to be where you are at this exact moment on PURPOSE. What if you saw the favor of God right where you are and not just 10 years down the road? What if the faithfulness of God is showing up through the position you’re in now and you just haven’t realized it? What if you’re where you are for a reason and you have been ignoring it? What if the position you are in, isn’t even for you, but for the people around you?

Lord, fix our perspectives! Help us to lean not on our own understanding, but to acknowledge you in everything we do. God your ways are higher, and your thoughts are higher. Let us put our trust and hope in you and not in our circumstances. Lord, I pray we would see our situations as places where your faithfulness can make itself known. That your favor would be on us, and we would do everything with a spirit of excellence. I pray that you would create divine appointments in every position we land in and that we would be obedient to your calling. I thank you for all the times you’ve spared us, all the times you’ve positioned us for victory, and all the times you’ve called us in the past that we might not have acknowledged. I thank you Lord that you are a faithful God. I thank you that you have plans for us to give us hope and a future. Lord, let our faith outweigh any doubts, and when we struggle, help us with our unbelief! We want to be more like Jesus! Don’t let us waste our divine positioning, Lord.