Have you noticed how heartache often comes with a timestamp?

In recent weeks, as friends have shared their disappointments over dinner, each has worked backward, taking me on a journey through the major events that led to this moment. With each recap, I could have grabbed a Sharpie and drawn a timeline on the table in front of us with the major moments marked like a tick on a ruler: 

  • Began following Christ → served faithfully in church → was overlooked for a leadership role
  • Dreamed of getting married → met an amazing man → got stuck in a prolonged engagement
  • Prayed for a restored family → worked toward reconciliation → is still estranged from loved ones

Tick, tick, boom. 

Each woman had expected her timeline to lead to a different outcome, but reality had caused her to wrestle internally: Did I misunderstand what I was supposed to do? Did I mess up somewhere? Can I really trust God with this part of my life?

A Twist in the Timeline 

Scripture is filled with the lives of real people whose stories didn’t unfold according to their desired timing or expectations. If you’ve studied the book of Esther, perhaps you’ve plotted out the major ups and downs of her dramatic story. But have you considered the ordinary and extraordinary moments of Mordecai’s life?

When Mordecai is introduced in Esther 2, his family had been exiled to Babylon, which marked the beginning of a long period of displacement for Mordecai and his people (Est. 2:5–6). He unexpectedly became the guardian of Esther after the death of her parents and then raised her as his own daughter (Est. 2:7). Later, Mordecai heard of a plot to assassinate the king and reported it. The murderous plan was verified, and the men behind it were hanged (Est. 2:21–23).

“After all this took place,” the next chapter begins, “King Ahasuerus honored . . .” Mordecai? No. The villain of the story was promoted to the highest position, and Mordecai was overlooked. 

The author [of the book of Esther] places the promotion of Haman just where the original readers would have expected a report of Mordecai’s reward as a benefactor of the king. Haman’s introduction forms an unexpected twist when juxtaposed with Mordecai’s unrewarded loyalty.1

If you’re familiar with the story of Esther, you know the conflict between Mordecai and Haman only escalated from there. You also know how the story ended. But what if you were the one living this story? Imagine the moment from Mordecai’s perspective, having fulfilled your role and responsibilities faithfully, only for someone else to reap the benefits.

Can you feel the disappointment? How your prayers would sound that night as you crawled into bed and stared at the ceiling? In deeply disappointing moments, it doesn’t take much for discouragement to lead to doubt about who God is, which can change the way you respond to Him. 

Tick, tick, boom. 

Finding God’s Providence 

As Esther 3 begins, we don’t know what Mordecai was thinking or what doubts plagued his mind. But consider the thoughts that show up in your mind when discouragement feels fresh—when you look at those who receive what you were hoping for and you think, “I thought I’d have that by now.” Or you ask, “Why hasn’t it happened for me yet?” 

On those days . . .

  • Do you struggle to believe that God sees you and cares? 
  • Do you feel as though God is inconsistent or unfair when He allows good to seemingly happen to others and not you?
  • Do you trust God’s power over the events of your life but not His wisdom in bringing them to pass in the best timing? 

Even before this point in the story, God had been at work in the details of Mordecai’s life. In a recent episode of the Revive Our Hearts podcast, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth highlighted the providence of God on display in this section of Scripture. Providence, she explained, is the fact that “God sees what is going to happen. [He] ordains ahead, and [He] goes before His people to make provision for those circumstances before we ever get there.”

Nancy pointed out God’s providence in putting Mordecai in a position at the king’s gate to work, as well as in arranging the circumstances of the day so that Mordecai would be able to hear the assassination plot and report it. God’s divine provision is evident when you look at the details of Mordecai’s life.

Paying attention to evidence of past divine providence in your life can help you fight present disappointment—even if you have to think back years or decades. Ask yourself:

  • Where have I seen God at work orchestrating the details of my life to bring me to this point in time?
  • How have I experienced God’s goodness, especially in ways I took for granted in the moment?
  • How have I witnessed His power and wisdom in opening or closing doors at just the right moment?

Allow hindsight to deepen your hope that God’s timing is perfect and His providence is kind.

Will You Trust God’s Timeline?

After Mordecai’s loyalty was overlooked, what was the next tick in his timeline? It was a small one: he went back to his job. As Nancy mentioned in the podcast,

Mordecai’s good deed was not recognized or rewarded for another four or five years. 

Can I remind you that God sees, God knows, and God will bring all things to light in His time? You see that theme through the Scripture: “Evil pursues sinners, but to the righteous, good shall be repaid” (Prov. 13:21 NKJV). “The Son of Man will come . . . and then He will reward each according to his works” (Matt. 16:27 NKJV).

Then, not now. So much of the reward for the Christian life is not now. So much of our reward, as servants of God and of our families, is not now. The reward is later.

Mordecai wouldn’t see how this moment fit into the bigger picture until years later. In the meantime, the Lord’s unseen hand was at work behind the scenes, aligning circumstances, shifting pieces into place, and preparing a moment when His plan would unfold in ways beyond what anyone could have imagined (see Esther 6). 

When that moment came, it was no longer just about Mordecai. What had seemed like a delay in his life years before had always been part of a much larger storyline, one that meant deliverance for God’s people and drew attention to the sovereignty, provision, and grace of God Himself. 

So much of what the Lord is currently doing in your life won’t be fully revealed until you see Him face to face: then, not now. In His kindness, He may reveal reasons why some of the events in your story have happened the way they have, but until then, you can trust Histimeline for your life. And that trust will help you:

  • Stretch and strengthen your faith, as you acknowledge that the Lord’s wisdom surpasses your own, and that His paths and plans are good (Psalm 25:4–5). 
  • Recognize that God’s purposes are bigger than you. If you could see how the pieces of your life fit into His master plan, you’d be amazed at the intentionality and grace behind the good works He’s called you to walk out today (Eph. 2:10). 
  • Bring praise to God’s glory. You’re a small part of the grand narrative He’s been writing from the beginning of time into eternity. As you acknowledge that He’s sovereign over your life and surrender to His good plans, even in the midst of your disappointment, you glorify Him (Eph. 1:11–12). 

Two Thousand Years Later

Thousands of years after the events of the book of Esther took place, Jewish people around the world still celebrate His deliverance. Last night, March 13, marked the beginning of one of the most joyous holidays on the Jewish calendar—Purim. Beginning at sunset yesterday evening and continuing through nightfall tonight, Jews will read the book of Esther and rehearse the events that led to their people being saved.

Followers of Christ are still talking about the timeline of Esther all these years later because it was never a story about Mordecai or Esther—it was a testimony of God’s providence, His faithfulness to His people, and the reality that He can be trusted. 

As you think back on the story, it’s not enough to see His hand at work in times past or in others’ lives. As you look at what feels absent from your own timeline, if you feel the sting of lingering disappointment in your story today, will you trust the Lord with your story? He never forgets, never overlooks, and never fails. One day you’ll see how every unexpected twist in the plot leads to glory. Until then, rest in His providence, and allow your timeline to turn your eyes to Him.

Although God’s name is never mentioned in the book of Esther, the imprint of His remarkable ways is displayed through her entire story. Learn to trust His hand and discover His plan when you request Esther: Trusting God’s Plan, a six-week study based on the teaching of Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth. We’d love to send you a copy this month as our thanks for your donation of any amount to help women thrive in Christ.

1 Karen H. Jobes, Esther, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1999), 118.