Racial divides. Political strife. Uncertain futures. This is the story of our day. But it is also the story of the exiles in Persia. The Jewish people had been taken from their homeland. They were being pressured to conform to foreign customs. They were facing discrimination. Now, an edict was being issued that would stamp out the Jewish race forever. Everything seemed to be falling apart for God’s people. But then two figures emerge on the scene . . . and everything changes.

As Max Lucado relates in this five-session study (study guide sold separately), Esther and Mordecai are these unlikely heroes of the tale. Both had spent their lives trying to fit in and conform. But both experience a turning point—a crucial moment where they choose to step up and stand out for the God they served. As a result of their courageous actions, winter turned to springtime for God’s people. They emerged from the crisis stronger, more unified, and more committed to serving the God of their forefathers, even in their exile.

The promise for God’s people in the book of Esther is the same promise that we have today. Our God triumphs in troubled times. When it seems as if everything is falling into pieces, he is working in our midst, causing everything to fall into place. The very one who seeks to destroy us will be destroyed. Even when it appears that evil has won, and that there is no hope for our future, we can know God’s throne is still occupied. We will triumph in the end.

The question for you today is not whether God will show up on the scene. Rather, it is whether you will choose to be a part of it when he does. Will you, like Mordacai and Esther, realize you are a position “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14)? God is calling you to rise up in these chaotic times. You were made for this moment.

Sessions include:

1. The Problem of Conformity (Esther 1:1–2:18)
2. A Moment of Decision (Esther 2:19–4:14)
3. Heaven Set in Motion (Esther 4:15–6:14)
4. The God of Great Turnarounds (Esther 7:1–8:17)
5. Remembering God’s Faithfulness (Esther 9:1–10:3)

Designed for use with You Were Made for This Study Guide (sold separately).