There Is a Place
for You
God's sovereignty in the Purim story of Esther — and why your role in His plan matters more than you think.
In Women Voices Episode 5 on JustGospel, Charlene — in-house lecturer at Delta Christian Campus — takes us beyond the familiar Esther story to reveal something profound: God's sovereignty does not work through one hero alone. Every character in the Purim narrative — willing or unwilling, visible or invisible — played a role in God's master plan of deliverance. The message? You have a place in Father's kingdom too. Your role may seem small or unseen, but it is never insignificant. And God was working behind the scenes long before you ever knew you were part of the story.
We always tell the story as if it belongs to one woman. As if the crown, the courage, and the deliverance of an entire nation rested on one set of shoulders — Esther's. And while her boldness was extraordinary, Charlene, in-house lecturer at Delta Christian Campus, gently takes us by the hand in Women Voices Episode 5 and says: zoom out. Because when you do, the story gets bigger. And so does your place in it.
Broadcasting live on JustGospel — your 24/7 gospel radio station — as part of the Joyful Journey Home drive show, Charlene delivered a message that was as comforting as it was challenging. At a time of year when the Purim season is being celebrated globally, she unpacked the full arc of the Esther narrative to land on one quietly powerful truth: God in His sovereignty always involves people. All of us. Not just the queens and the kings.
The Characters We Overlook
Before Charlene arrived at her central theme, she did something wise — she walked us through the full cast of the story. Because it is easy to reduce Esther to a beauty pageant and a brave moment before the king. But read it again slowly, and you will find a narrative layered with strategy, sovereignty, and significance in every supporting role.
King Xerxes
Held a lavish feast. Sought a new queen. His decisions unknowingly opened the door for God's plan to unfold in the palace.
Queen Vasti
Refused the king and was divorced. Her disobedience — unintentionally — created the vacancy that made space for Esther. Even her refusal served God's purposes.
Mordecai
Righteous, faithful, watchful. Raised Esther as his own. Wept in sackcloth and ashes. Spoke truth into Esther's fear. The unseen architect of her courage.
Hegai
The king's attendant of the harem. A quiet character — yet he favoured Esther from day one, gave her a beautiful apartment, and set her apart. Small role. Enormous impact.
Haman
Full of pride and self-importance. Released a decree to annihilate the Jewish people. His arrogance eventually opened the door for Mordecai's promotion and God's justice.
The Jewish People
They fasted and prayed for three days at Esther's request. Without their intercession, Esther's approach to the throne may never have produced the strategy and favour she needed.
"God was orchestrating deliverance for His people — even before it was needed. And He did it through willing and obedient hearts, and even through hearts that were not obedient."
— Charlene, Delta Christian Campus
This is the observation that reframes everything. Queen Vasti's refusal was disobedience — yet God used it. Haman's pride was sin — yet God used it. Hegai's favouritism was a small, almost invisible act — yet God used it. "God in a way used that as well," Charlene observed quietly, "to bring in new characters for His glory."
The Moment Mordecai Corrected Esther's Fear
Charlene paused the story at one of its most pivotal and most overlooked exchanges — the conversation between Mordecai and a terrified Esther. The king had not called for her in 30 days. Approaching his inner court uninvited meant death, unless he extended the golden sceptre. And Esther, understandably, was afraid.
Mordecai's response was not soft. It was loving, but it was direct. He told her plainly: do not think that you will escape this in the palace while the rest of God's people perish. If you remain silent, deliverance will come from somewhere else — but you and your father's house will be lost. And then he asked the question that has echoed through centuries:
"Who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"
— Esther 4:14Charlene drew our attention not only to Esther's eventual boldness, but to the role Mordecai played in producing it. "From the beginning," she reflected, "he was looking out for her. He adopted her. He raised her as his own child. He wept for the nation. He risked his life with the sackcloth and ashes so that Esther would see him. And then he corrected her, saying: Esther, this is your time."
Without Mordecai, would Esther have stepped out? Without the Jewish community's three days of fasting and prayer, would she have received the wisdom and strategy she needed to approach the king? The answer, Charlene suggested, is almost certainly no. "Visibility and position do not necessarily determine influence — separate from others."
The Theme That Changes Everything: There Is a Place for You
This is where Charlene landed — and it landed softly, but with the full weight of God's word behind it. We spend so much time pointing to Esther as the hero that we miss the invitation of the story for everyone else. There were many characters. Every one of them mattered. Every one of them had a role. And none of them could have fulfilled the plan alone.
✦ Key Truths from the Esther Story
- God is always working behind the scenes — long before the breakthrough is visible.
- He uses willing hearts and, at times, even unwilling ones to advance His plan.
- Every role matters — whether visible or invisible, celebrated or unseen.
- Visibility and position do not determine influence when separated from community.
- The bold leader still needs the faithful intercessors, the quiet mentors, and the unseen helpers.
- It takes a collective, obedient people to bring God's plan into fruition.
- Father determines our role — our responsibility is to be faithful in it.
- We must rest in His plan, not compare our role to someone else's.
"Each one of us has a role to play. Each one of us has a place in Father's Kingdom. Father determines what role that will be. And we need to rest in that."
— Charlene, Delta Christian Campus
The Bride Is a Body — Not an Individual
In closing, Charlene offered a vision that was both beautiful and bracing. Jesus is coming back. He is coming for a pure and spotless bride — and that bride is not one individual. It is the whole body of believers, in unity, in peace, walking in equal power and strength. "It's not only me as an individual," she said. "It's as we learn to work together and grow together, and as we have laid down ourselves and rendered ourselves — that is the pure and spotless bride that will be walking in power."
That means the work of becoming the bride is collective. It means asking the Holy Spirit often to search our hearts, to align us, to awaken us spiritually. It means praying for obedient hearts — quick to listen, quick to respond. "Small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life," she reminded us. "Seek the Lord while He may still be found."
A Word for the Gentiles — Romans 11
Charlene closed with a reflection on Romans 11 that gave the Esther story an even wider frame. Paul writes of wild olive branches — Gentile believers — grafted into the original olive tree of God's covenant people. We who are not Jewish by birth received the gospel because Israel, as a nation, largely did not receive Jesus as Messiah. And yet Paul says: when the final number of Gentiles comes in, God will deliver the whole of Israel.
"If their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?"
— Romans 11:15"We should not be prideful that we received this opportunity," Charlene said gently. "We should actually be praying still, even today, for the nation of Israel — for the Jewish people who are seeking God, who are following His ordinances, but who have not yet accepted Jesus as their Messiah. Let us be so thankful. It was a Jewish rabbi, Jesus, who came to our salvation."
You Were Born for This Moment
You may not be Esther. You may be Mordecai — the faithful one who speaks courage into someone else's fear. You may be Hegai — the quiet one whose small act of favour changes everything. You may be one of the unnamed Jewish people whose three days of prayer unlocked a nation's deliverance. Your role is not small. It is irreplaceable. There is a place for you in Father's Kingdom.
About Delta Christian Campus
Delta Christian Campus offers believers the opportunity to grow closer to the Lord through structured, scripture-based modules covering topics such as hearing God's voice, spiritual growth, and foundational Christian living. The campus is based at Delta Community Church. To find out more, listen to Women Voices on JustGospel or visit justgospelrtv.co.za.
This message was broadcast on Women Voices, part of the Joyful Journey Home drive show on JustGospel — your 24/7 gospel radio station. Listen live at justgospelrtv.co.za or find us on Spotify, Instagram, and Facebook.