Stepping Into Divine Purpose

INTRODUCTION

Every one of us lives by a clock, but God works by seasons.

Your watch may say January… but heaven may be saying, “Now.”

Some moments in life are ordinary, but some moments are appointed.

You may not feel different today. You may not look different today.

But that does not mean this season is ordinary.

Esther woke up one morning like any other queen, but by evening she discovered

She was not wearing a crown for comfort—

She was wearing it for purpose.

In one sentence, Mordecai changed her understanding of life:

“Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

• Church, what if this year is not just another year to live,

but a moment God has been preparing you for?

• What if your job, your family, your position, and your influence

are not accidents—but appointments?

Today, God is calling us to step into a time of divine purpose.

• Every year looks the same on the calendar, but not every year is the same in God’s plan.

• Some years are for preparation.

• Some years are for waiting.

• Some years are for action.

Esther 4:14 tells us about one moment that changed history.

Esther was already queen, but the moment came when she had to decide why she was a queen.

This New Year, God is asking:

“Why have I placed you here now?”

1. GOD PLACES YOU BEFORE THE PROBLEM COMES (Ps:37:23, Acts 17:26)

“…you have come to the kingdom…”

Esther was in the palace before the danger appeared. God placed her there years earlier.

Illustration

Fire Extinguisher

A fire extinguisher is placed in a building before there is a fire. You don’t install it after the fire starts.

Likewise, God positions you before the crisis.

What confused you last year is about to make sense this year.

Say “Lord, I trust your placement in my life.”

2. SOME MOMENTS REQUIRE COURAGE, NOT COMFORT (Josh 1:9, 2Tim 2:7).

“If you remain silent at this time…”

Mordecai told Esther:

“This is not a normal time. This is a critical time.”

Esther had comfort in the palace, but her calling was outside her comfort.

Illustration

Ambulance Siren

When an ambulance siren sounds, it does not stop for comfort. It moves fast because life is at stake.

Joshua 1:9 – “Be strong and courageous…”

Declaration:

“Lord, I choose courage over comfort.”

3. YOUR OBEDIENCE CAN CHANGE OTHER PEOPLE’S LIVES (Math 2:19, James 5:20).

“…deliverance will arise…”

God’s deliverance was certain, but Esther had the choice to participate in it. Her obedience changed the course of history for her nation.

In the same way, your obedience this year can change lives you may never see.

Missionary Illustration:

Gladys Aylward

Gladys Aylward was a young woman from England in the early 1900s.

She had no formal education, very little money, and had never traveled far from home. But God had a calling on her life: to serve as a missionary in China.

When she first applied to the missionary society, she was rejected multiple times. People told her she was too inexperienced, too poor, and too unprepared. But she refused to stay silent. She sold her few belongings, worked odd jobs, and eventually made her way to China by her own determination and God’s guidance.

Once in China, Gladys was assigned to a remote village. Life was extremely hard. She had to learn the language, adapt to local customs, and survive harsh winters. Yet she trusted God completely.

Then came a crisis. The Japanese invasion and local warfare threatened the lives of hundreds of children. Families were scared, and many abandoned their homes. Gladys could have stayed safe, but she chose courage over comfort.

With only a small group of helpers, she led over 100 children through the mountains for weeks, often facing dangerous terrain, freezing weather, and the threat of soldiers. She carried some children herself when they were too weak to walk. She prayed continually, trusting God to guide every step.

Because she obeyed, an entire generation of children survived. Many of them later grew up to serve others in China. One person’s courage and obedience became a lifeline for hundreds.

Just like Esther, Gladys was placed in a situation she did not create, in a time of crisis she did not start. God had prepared her for that exact season.

• Esther’s obedience saved a nation.

• Gladys’s obedience saved over 100 children.

Your obedience this year might not make headlines, but it can change the trajectory of someone else’s life—maybe a family, a friend, a neighbor, or even a stranger across the world.

Matthew 5:16 – “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

John 14:20 – “On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you”.