At the King's Gate

I won't lie.  There is a portion of me that would love to be in Tanzania with Kelli.  God flung the door wide open for her to go on this heart-journey and I couldn't be more excited for her.  But something in me wants to slam coke with the children instead of just reading her beautiful stories.

Yesterday, I felt compelled to read and study the book of Esther.  Mordecai is the character that jumped off the page this time.  What a man of integrity!  He took his orphaned cousin in to raise even though it makes no mention of him having a wife to come alongside of him in parenting.  He refused to bow down to Haman (even out of cultural respect) because Haman was an Agagite.  He courageously seeks Esther's help when it seems that the Jews are about to be wiped out.

All of this is wonderful, but what struck me yesterday was that Mordecai is almost always found outside the King's gate.  He must have been some sort of official.  But, the place of work is outside the King's gate instead of inside, where he would have had closer access to the King. 

And, Mordecai seems to be just fine with that.  It is outside the gate where he is able to foil the plot to murder King Ahasuerus.  All through the book of Esther, you can see different character's being used by Providence to bring about God's rescue plan.  God uses everything from Queen Esther's position of authority to the servant who read the book of memorable deeds to the King that night.  No person seems to be wasted or in the wrong place in this fascinating book.

I want to mention four significant things that happen while Mordecai is doing what he is called to do while at the King's gate:

1.  He is able to keep tabs and communication open with his cousin, Queen Esther, whom he had promised to take care of. At the King's gate, Mordecai is a man of his word and he seeks to care for those God has placed under his care.

2.  He refuses to bow down to Haman at the King's gate.  At the King's gate (where we are at peace with where God has placed us), all idols and false pretenses wash away and true allegiance rises. 

3.  He returns straight back to the King's gate after he is honored by the king.  Even after being paraded through town wearing the King's robe and riding upon the King's horse, Mordecai makes no assumptions that his position will be promoted.  He simply and very humbly heads straight back to his post at the King's gate.

4.  He is at peace with the fact that the arrogant Haman is inside the King's gate while he is outside.  He is fine with total obscurity and seeming insignificance.

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What if each one of us became totally comfortable with ourselves and the positions that God entrusted with us?  What if we knew that our job as servant/reader to the King was as significant as wife/Queen to the King?  What if pride were stripped away and we recognized the divine arrangement that God uniquely has each of us in?  All for His glory...  All for His Story...

I think there is freedom in that.  Perhaps even a double dose of victory.

"You have been wishing for another position where you could do something for Jesus; do not wish anything of the kind, but serve Him where you are."  Spurgeon

I love this quote by Gussy who is also in Tanzania:  "He wants my purpose to be stitched up by Him."