Wednesday, January 17, 2018

JOHN Good Morning! I’m John Branning, the Lead Pastor of Central United Methodist Church. In the Old Testament a story is told of Queen Esther and a choice she had to make. When Mordecai sent word to her about the great danger their people were facing, she could have simply tried to save herself. She could have kept quiet. Just hoped for the best, or turned the other way. But she and Mordecai both knew that God had given her great purpose in her position. She was wise, she made a plan, she didn’t stay stuck in fear or worry, she prayed and fasted, and asked for their people to do the same. She was willing to act, to follow God’s lead, to save the lives of her people, even if it meant she might lose hers. Though our current situations may look different than what Esther faced, we might still be struggling with great fear or uncertainty. The future may look dark. A hard diagnosis or recent loss may have sent us spiraling. Yet, often God places us in positions of influence, or in strategic locations, with great purpose in mind. Many times, the places where we find ourselves is not really “all about us.” It’s about Him. It’s about His bigger plan.