Only if I had stopped in my tracks for a moment to speak to God about my decision, only if I had been patient to heed to His leading like I have always done. He led me to the website where I found the job listing three years ago.
I remember how I sought God with all my might, soul & body for Him to lead me to His perfect will for my job search. One night after I had finished praying, I took my laptop and started to just search. I do not remember the keywords I put in the search engine that night but I know I had never used those keywords before. I began to search and I was led to this agency and somehow led to the hiring manager that interviewed me for the job position. It happened so fast, I was just in awe of how God was working out everything for me. And as the process went on, I continued to ask God if it was His perfect will for me.Thankfully, the job role was God’s perfect will and so I took the offer.
It was amazing all the way, I saw God’s hands and favor along the way as I went- assurance and evidence that God was truly with me on the job.
Then last year, there was an open position in another department. The perks & benefits looked really “juicy” , so I just went ahead to apply for the position and took the position.
Looking at things in retrospect, I failed to take God along on that journey, I didn’t acknowledge Him neither did I ask Him for His guidance. I really do not know If I was beclouded by the benefits or I had become so self- reliant or I just forgot. I really do not know.
Four months ago, due to the pandemic the department was shutdown to reduce cost and they had to let me go. I cried so hard!
God had showed me signs, I had neglected all of it- nothing could go wrong I thought to myself. But unknown to me, God knew all that was going to happen this year and He tried to stop me. Although, I didn’t bother to ask Him, He cared so much for me that He tried to stop me from making a huge mistake. He couldn’t force Himself on me, He just couldn’t.
But I write about this from a place of gratitude, I am glad that I could learn my lesson from here so that I would never make it again, God-willing and God-helping me in Jesus name.
The above is a fictitious story of Ade and just like in his case, great opportunities and possibilities often present themselves to us at multiple stages and times of our lives. Many times, we tend to take decisions based off: instinct, appearance, online reviews, sixth sense and the likes.
The story of Abram and Lot in Genesis 13 & 14 points us to how deceptive looks could be. Abram led Lot to the highlands between Bethel and Ai so that they could both have clear Aerial views of the lands around them. Abram told Lot to make his choice amongst the vast expanse of lands round about them to settle in. Lot could have told his uncle to give him some time to pray about it. But Lot allowed Himself to be swayed away by the beautiful Looks of the Jordan Plain – Genesis 13:10. I like how the bible compares the plain with Egypt, this is a pointer that this plain that Lot had chosen had similarities with Egypt. Egypt appears to be filled with abundance, God’s children may enjoy the abundance in Egypt for awhile but it isn’t the perfect will of God, so they will end up being enslaved there.
But I doubt that Lot had such insight, because if he did he wouldn’t have made the decision to take his family there to live there.
In the same light, we all are faced with many of life’s choices and we may feel pressured to make decisions fast or we just go with the flow or with instinct. Other times, we may be filled with fear of losing out, like “what if I do not get an opportunity like this again!”
Lot might have felt the same way or perhaps he was just really excited about living in a beautiful place like the Jordan plains. I probably would have imagined all the beautiful walks I’d take in the evenings, beautiful nature pictures I would take in a place with such beautiful views.
Little did Lot know that he was walking into his own doom. The city he chose based off appearance was filled with so much evil and was destined for destruction. Still Lot could not see clearly with his two eyes opened and interestingly, his uncle who was miles away knew about the state of the place. God revealed the situation of the place to Abram because there was a budding relationship between God and Abram. God never does anything without speaking to His children about it. – Amos 3:7
At this point, I will like to emphasize the importance & beauty of having a thriving relationship with God. Because of this kind of relationship Abram had with God, He was able to see and hear things about a city he did not live in. Walking with God is amazing! Still because of the relationship Abram had with God, he was able to negotiate for the life of his nephew Lot – Genesis 18:16-33
Abram had developed a close line of communication with God overtime; he built altars of worship to God as he journeyed with his wife and family. And by so doing, he was able to give himself to being led by God subconsciously & consciously.
And no matter the measure of wealth Abraham became blessed with, he never took for granted the leading of God. I am learning how to always ask God for His guidance for everything that I do and not just certain aspects or only when I want to make big decisions.
God is interested in every aspect of our lives and I pray that we are able to seek His face and trust Him for guidance in Jesus name.
note: Ade’s story is fictitious.