I find one of the most interesting studies to be about those whose names are mentioned only one time in the pages of the Bible. The opposite side of the spectrum is true regarding many others who are, or have been on earth with the role of having great, long-time ministries, that we hear and read about over-and-over. Examples would be the individuals God in His sovereignty has sent into the world such as Dwight Moody, Charles Spurgeon, Billy Graham and others whose lives have been used for the purpose of influencing entire generations, as their ministries continue on numbers of years later. There are, however, those who come for one particular time and season, and who are never heard about again.
In the Old Testament there is the memorable story that has sense been made in to beautiful movies of a young girl by the name of Hadassah. You may recognize her more by the name of Esther. Esther is the ‘star’ of the book bearing her name who was orphaned at an early age and brought up by an older cousin named Mordecai. After King Ahasuerus ordered a search for a new queen, Esther was brought to the palace, and later, by way of a fascinating story became the King’s wife, as well as the Queen of Persia, today’s Iran. Without a doubt, Esther, by way of God’s sovereign hand, was brought into the world “for a time such as this,” and like Moody, Spurgeon, and Graham, their legacies, and stories of ministry continued on, familiar to all.
On the opposite side, consider these individuals. All four Gospels tell of this story, however only one writer, John, tell us of the one principal person with no name involved in the story. In John 6, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother said to Jesus, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish…” Think of it! What ended up being this little boy’s “lunch” ended up feeing 5000 people with overflow “as much as they wanted,” yet we find recorded that the little guy came into the world “for a time such as this,” to be never mentioned again in the entire Bible!
Then there is the story of Ananias, the man who encouraged the Apostle Paul upon his conversion. We do not know where or how long he lived except that he was the one who encouraged Saul before Saul’s name was changed to Paul. Ananias had come “for such a time as this!” Then there was a man named Simon who was from Cyrene, a city in Northern Africa. Nothing is said about him except in the one place in the four Gospels he was singled out to carry the cross of Jesus up Calvary’s hill. He may have lived a long life after, no matter; we do know only that he came to the kingdom “for a time such as this.”
In addition, while we focus on that memorial time, lest we forget about the unknown man; a bad person, known only by name as a ‘thief.’ This ‘thief’ hanging on his own cross next to Jesus, is known to readers of the Bible as a person saved by grace through faith without works, by simply trusting in faith in the Lord Jesus, and in coming into this world “for a time such as this.”
While Matthew, Mark, Luke and John tell us about a wealthy man named Joseph of Arimathaea, only Matthew tells us this story. After asking for the body of Jesus after His death on the Cross for all of mankind’s sins who would later receive Him as Lord and Savior, Matthew is the only one who tells us after requesting from Herod His body, Joseph laid him in the tomb that he had originally purchased for himself. Most importantly, what we learn from the Bible is that he came “for a time such as this.”
It is not just my opinion while writing this CRA Moment, but it’s true that God also sent YOU into this world at the very time He did! For one huge reason is because, on this day you would be reading this CRA Moment and would realize that YOU are also here “for a time such as this.” That’s how special, important, and valuable you are in this world “for a time such as this.”
Bottom line is this! I trust and hope you will choose to be in Heaven with me and numerous believers who are part of this ministry and beyond. And if you do not know that to be a yes; you can choose your direction this very moment by accepting Jesus into your heart, asking for forgiveness of your sins, telling Him you choose to follow Him all the days of your life. It is so important “for a time such as this.”
Blessings, Psalm 20:7 Dale & Jeannie