Stepping Up and Stepping In

Esther 2:7, NIV

Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This young woman, who was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.

Esther 2:19-22, NIV

19When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate. 20But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai’s instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up. 21During the time Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, became angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. 22But Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai. 

In order to rise up, we have to step up and step in, just like Mordecai did.

Mordecai stepped up and stepped in. 

First, he raised Esther as his own daughter when her parents died. Then, after Esther had been chosen to be queen of Persia, he sat at the king’s gate—which leads us to believe that he had obtained some sort of official position in the kingdom of Persia. And, when he found out about the plot to kill the king, he did something about it.

Mordecai got engaged where he was at.

We may feel like we’re living in a modern-day Babylon or Persia—and therefore all we want to do is disengage—but that’s all the more reason we have to engage. 

Mordecai may not have even known why he was stationed at the gate, but this placement was a setup by God—in more ways than one.

And the same is true for us.

You may not know why you’re stationed where you are right now, but that place is a setup for the plan of God—in more ways than one.

So what’s our part in all of it? How do we step up and step in?

First, we have to draw close to God. Then, we have to:

• Open our hearts

• Open our eyes

• Make ourselves available

• Ask God to send us in

And He will. 

When we step up with a desire to engage, God will send us in.