By Sandra Bost
I have always loved butterflies. Their vibrant colors and graceful, carefree flight are mesmerizing. Whenever I see one, it feels like a little God-wink—or as I like to call them, a glad surprise—a quiet reminder that He is near, orchestrating even the smallest details of my life with purpose and care. (Especially if they’re blue!)
There’s no denying the spiritual connection either. The whole concept of metamorphosis is a miracle. A quirky caterpillar enters a chrysalis, turns into “soup,” and bursts forth as a beautiful butterfly. It defies logic. But what a powerful reminder that transformation often happens in hidden places. (A devotion for another day!)
This week, I’ve been captivated by the great monarch migration. I came across it in a reading lesson with my students, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it.
Each year, between mid-August and early-November, monarch butterflies embark on one of the most extraordinary migrations in the world. These delicate orange-and-black creatures, weighing less than a paperclip, travel thousands of miles from Canada and the northern U.S.—including Alabama—to the forests of central Mexico.
What amazes me most is that the butterflies who complete the journey aren’t the same ones who began it. It takes multiple generations to complete the round trip. Some are born to travel, others to rest and reproduce, and a special generation—called the “Methuselah generation”—is born to make the longest leg of the journey south, overwinter, and begin the return. They are born for such a time as this.
This past week, my daughter’s church hosted a ladies’ event centered around that very phrase: “for such a time as this.” In the Bible, we meet a young Jewish woman named Esther who becomes queen in a foreign land. When her people are threatened with destruction, her uncle Mordecai challenges her with these words from Esther 4:14:
“For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
The speaker began by recapping Esther’s story, then focused on the odds of our own births. She said the odds of us being here right now are like 2 million people each rolling a trillion-sided die at the same time—and every single one of them landing on the exact same number. Wow. Those are some remarkable odds.
Her point was this: each of us is born with a purpose. But we often overlook our opportunities because we’re waiting for a big, glamorous moment, instead of being faithful in the small, everyday ones. God could have brought “relief and deliverance” another way, but He gave Esther the opportunity to be part of His plan.
Esther didn’t have all the answers. She didn’t know how things would turn out. But she chose to trust the One who did. She could have remained silent and safe, or she could step into the calling God had placed on her life, risking everything to save her people.
Like the monarch butterfly, Esther’s journey wasn’t easy. It required courage, faith, and a willingness to believe her life had purpose beyond her own comfort. Most of all, it required obedience.
We, too, are on a journey. Sometimes we feel like we’re just fluttering through life, unsure of our direction or purpose. But just as God designed the monarch butterfly with an internal compass to guide it across continents, He has placed within each of us a divine purpose.
You may not feel strong. You may not feel like a “queen” or a “hero.” You might even identify more with the quirky caterpillar or bowl of soup, but perhaps—just perhaps—you were born for such a time as this.
Maybe you’re the teacher who sees the student (or colleague) no one else notices.
Maybe you’re the friend who offers a word of hope at just the right moment.
Maybe you’re the parent, the mentor, the neighbor, the voice of encouragement someone desperately needs.
So when you hear the words from Esther 4:14—“Perhaps you were born for such a time as this”—it’s not just poetic. It’s deeply personal. You are not an accident. You are here, now, on purpose.
Prayer: Father, thank You for the reminder that You have created each of us with purpose. Like the monarch butterfly, we may not always understand the journey, but we trust that You are guiding us. Give us the courage of Esther to obey Your call and step into the moments You’ve prepared for us. Help us to see that we were born for such a time as this. Amen.
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