There is future beauty on its way.

When I was 19 years old, pregnant for the 4th time outside of marriage, living on food stamps and welfare in the projects, it didn’t matter to me that somehow, some way, God could use my story. When I was being beaten and sexually assaulted and raising those kids alone, nothing in the middle of my story provided evidence that that chapter of my life would end well. It didn’t occur to me that one day I could encourage and inspire single mothers. I just wanted God to pluck me from my misery.

But God is in the miracle-making business. He is in the restoring business. God is in the redeeming business. That’s what He did in my life and will do in yours. Understand that your God is working things out on your behalf, but there is always an interim period between the beginning (the promise) and the end (its fulfillment). While you are in the middle of difficulty, pain, development, and perhaps even shaky faith, there are some things you need to know:

• Fear must fall. You cannot be bound by fear. Christ paid for you to be free from it. Fear must fall in your heart, prayer life, and home to endure the pain of the war you face today. Do not be shaken or moved by what you see around you. Be strong and courageous. Nothing God has called you to will be easy. Satan will not sit idly by for you to fight for your family, for you to establish a sound financial future for your grandchildren, or for you to take territory for the Kingdom! What fear in your life is holding you back? If God is for you, who can be against you? Whom shall you fear?
• Your voice saves lives. Look at our Scripture today. God called Queen Esther for such a time as this. Her voice saved many lives. But what if she hadn’t stood firm and fought well? You have been called, moms! You have been appointed as heads of your household this season until God sees fit to bring you a husband. You cannot sit silently when the world attempts to alter the truth to fit a narrative. Your children need to know the Word of the Lord. They need to know that as for you and your house, you will serve the Lord. Don’t think the enemy’s lies aren’t coming to your home. Be the mother that stands for the truth of God, the Word of God, and the things of God – for such a time as this.
• Sacrifice will be necessary. Honoring the Lord will require sacrifice. It’s a temporary sacrifice to lay down sin to reap a full reward. At the moment, it can feel impossible to lay down something that doesn’t honor God. It will be a sacrifice to tell the guy no when he asks you for a date, and you haven’t been out in a while. It will be a sacrifice to cut ties from the friend group that doesn’t edify you. It’s a sacrifice to adhere to your spiritual disciplines when you are a tired single momma. It is a sacrifice to read the Word on a busy day or set yourself apart when culture is pressing you to raise your children differently. But the sacrifice will be worth it! Be willing to sacrifice for your faith.
• Be ready. If you want to be victorious in your season, it’s time to suit up for the fight. It’s time to put on the full armor of God in Ephesians 6:12-18. You need to know your authority in Christ Jesus, what is true about the situation, and the strategies necessary for this war. You must be well-equipped in this fight through our full armor. The same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in you. Pray. Pray without ceasing. Pray with the power of the Holy Spirit. Operate with the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit. You are a for-such-a-time-as-this mom, and you will make it through.

Points to Ponder:

• What is your for-such-a-time-as-this moment?
• What has God called your hands to?
• Whose life can you change?
• How can you step into your calling?
• What are you anointed to do? And what is holding you back?