For Such A Time As This

I’m not asking for a show of hands, but do you feel called by God for a particular purpose, or even being given an increasing number of tasks, to fulfill God’s purpose in your life? Do you feel God has given you physical and/or spiritual gifts to achieve His purposes for your life? His gifts may be useful within a vocation outside the church, to meet God’s purposes, as well as within His church. God’s calling today may even be a means of preparing you for a later purpose. Speaking from personal experience, I found God had equipped my eventual call to pastoral ministry through a series of callings, through the military, business management, teaching experience, and years as volunteer Treasurer in a larger church before ultimately being led here, where Cathy and I both felt this is where God wanted us. And we’ve known the satisfaction God gives when answering His call.

Few people, other than the wealthy privileged, feel they are predestined to greatness, But their path may include trying to buy happiness with money, or finding success in others’ plans for their lives in the footsteps of successful family members.

Others, like doctors, lawyers, even pastors may aspire to positions of recognition and power with the special talents they seem to have been given. But unless their goal for success is the spiritual satisfaction to be found in using God’s gifts for His purposes, they may never know the wonder of God’s plan for their lives. Believing Christians, pursuing God’s call on their lives. may face a variety of options. Some may pursue theology to achieve greater positions of authority within the Church, while others pursue training to become missionaries to the needy, such as Mother Theresa. Some may find joy in teaching in academic settings as well as teaching young people in a church. God doesn’t give us all the same gifts, but it takes all His gifts to meet His grand purposes.

Take Edward Kimball, for example. Many, like myself, know his story, but struggle to remember his name. He was born in Rowley, Massachusetts, in 1823. He had begun to pursue a career in religious studies as his parents wanted, but illness at the time prevented him. Instead, he became a public school teacher like his father.

God seemed to be leading Ed in a slightly different direction, because later, at age 23, Kimball moved to Boston where his business aptitude led to him becoming head of a carpet dealer firm. But he also joined a Congregational Church, where he served as a church officer and Sunday School teacher.

During one Sunday School class of teenage boys, Kimball asked the class to turn to a specific chapter in the Gospel of John. One newer student, Dwight, unfamiliar with the books of the Bible or the location of John, turned instead to the front of the Bible, resulting in his classmates laughing at him. Kimball, however, handed the young man his own Bible open to the correct passage and asked him to read. Greatly impressed by Kimball's kindness, Dwight continued to attend Sunday School. In 1855, after nearly a year of lessons, Kimball felt a need to visit Dwight at the shoe store where he was working to talk to him about his salvation. Kimball had paced in front of the store, unsure of what he would say, but feeling strongly drawn to speak to the young man. Finally, during their conversation in the store's stockroom, the 18 year old Dwight L. Moody accepted Christ as his Savior.

Not much else is known about Kimball, but Dwight Moody went on to become a successful businessman and a world famous evangelist. He used his business skills and his faith to establish the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago in 1866, which is still a major Christian learning institution today. Their Mission statement is interesting: “Whether you study as an undergraduate or graduate student, in person or online, or are pursuing a biblical, theological, ministry-focused, or aviation education, you’ll graduate ready to serve Christ with passion and excellence—however and wherever He leads you”.

Ed Kimball was a very ordinary Christian that God equipped to be a Sunday School teacher at his church, and a carpet dealer by vocation. By responding to God’s call to speak to a teenage Sunday School student, God used him to call Dwight Moody to His greater purposes. Moody’s “direct chain” evangelism resulted in Billy Sunday’s call to become an evangelist, that eventually reached sixteen year old Billy Graham, whose world evangelism, directly and indirectly, would bring also bring countless souls to Christ. Although “just a Sunday School teacher”, Kimball is often used as an example of the influence that one "ordinary" individual can have in God’s purposes.

Our OT lesson from the Book of Esther, one of the lesser known books of the Bible, never directly mentions God, but God is seen working throughout it. The Jewish Esther had lost her parents, and was raised by her uncle and adoptive father Mordecai in Susa, the capital of Persia, during the reign of King Xerxes. They were among those who chose not to return to Jerusalem after the exile. As Jews, they were foreigners, but accepted in Persian culture. Mordecai, in fact, had uncovered an assassination attempt against the king, and was welcomed in the royal court within proper royal protocols. Except for one noble, Haman, who was jealous of Mordecai’s status and hated him. So much, that he plotted against all Jews just to get revenge on Mordecai.