When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she obtained favor in his sight; and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. So Esther came near, and touched the top of the scepter. Then the king asked her, "What would you like, queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you even to the half of the kingdom." Esther 5:2–3 WEB.

After fasting for three days, Esther risked her life and approached the king. It was a death sentence to enter the king's inner court without being invited in those days, for there was a law that you would be immediately executed unless the king held out his golden scepter.

The king spared Esther's life, and she approached him and made her request. By doing this, Esther saved her people from imminent destruction. It was a divine appointment, for the Lord had put Esther alone in a position to do it. No one else could even approach the king, much less influence him.

We all have a sphere of influence around us. You have access to people right now that no one else does. God has put me into various places to see one person there saved. Sometimes, I worked in a dark hole in the wall, factory polishing brass. At other times, it was playing music in a smoky bar. It's not always pleasant for us when we find ourselves in a bad place. Yet, it's the divine purpose we need to focus on. Why did He He put us there? What's the big picture?

The Apostle Paul led the jailer and his family to Jesus while in prison (Acts 16:30). It wasn't an accident that Paul was there. Later, he was shipwrecked on the island of Malta and led many of them to Jesus (Acts 28). God's wind blew Paul right where he needed to be. Then, He broke Paul's ship in half so he could stay for the winter. God will still place His servants where they need to be today, with them crying the whole time: "Why is this happening?"

I haven't always been successful at it. Sometimes, I would fall into murmuring and complaining about my circumstances. Instead of bringing inspiration to others, I wasted the opportunity. So try and focus on the bright side, for your life isn't an accident. You are not where you are by chance.

Ask the Lord what you can do for Him. The sooner you get in tune with God's plan and get His job done, the quicker you can move on to the next stage. When you begin to lose sight of the big picture, zoom out and look around you. Begin to see why God has placed you where you are. Our life isn't an accident.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please help me get in tune with what You are doing here. Let me see my environment through Your eyes. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit, and give me a word in season for those around me. Help me see the big picture. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: Today is Thankful Thursday at the Ministry Events group! This event gives us an opportunity encourage each other by posting thoughts, moments, and prayers of gratitude for Him, His creation and all that He does in our lives. All our welcome! To join, just click on the group name and then the join link on the page that will follow. As always, if you have a prayer need, we are here for you! We and the prayer team are ready to lift you up at our private prayer page: RHM Prayer Network.