Providence is a word that's not found in the Bible but rather is implicit or explicit on every page (like Trinity). It refers to God's independent superintendency of the universe through the operation of normal and natural processes and happenings. In other words, through God's sovereign providence, He is able to take the virtually infinite number of events and circumstances, as well as innumerable personal attitudes, ambitions, and abilities that exist in the natural and demonic worlds (yes, Christians believe that there exists a demonic world, not just the existence of evil) and cause them to work together in meticulous perfection to perfectly fulfill His divine will.
Unlike miracles (another mean by which God executes His will) in which God "simply" replaces the natural events and circumstances with His own making that's usually within a short period of time and instantaneous; providence involves the infinitely more complex task of taking natural events and circumstances, as well as the limited but real freedoms of human and demonic minds and wills and, often over vast periods of time, superintending all of those elements in flawless fulfillment of His foreordained plan. Multiple myriads of individual and seemingly random plans, choices, actions and events continually work together in a divinely synchronized strategy to perform God's predestined plan.
The MacArthur NT Commentary
(personal notes included)
(personal notes included)
God's providence can be seen in that short passage Matthew had written in that all those individual people who did what they did- with good or evil intentions, came to fulfill the prophecies of Jesus as stated in the Old Testament.
I came upon this passage just as life was "picking up" again after a series of events and reading the above extracts, I knew I had to share this... for His glory...
I had just sent my application to D Co. (I'm calling it D Co. as it was THE company that I had set my heart and hopes to work in) and despite my confidence and convictions up till that moment in time, something came up- there was a stirring in my heart that seemed to tell me that though I had that peace, the qualifications... just before I sent the application in- I'm actually not going to get the job.
I was devastated. Broken. I cried out to God and shared with Me the fears in my heart and though I wish this was the turning point of my story, it wasn't. The call came, followed by the e-mail. I was rejected (though those were not the actual words).
Little rays of hope came in to try out for D Co. again so I took it, though this time around, I knew was only trying because I still couldn't let go of it- God had something better in store but at that point in time, I wasn't greedy, I would gladly settle for D Co.
But throughout that time, something that Me said to Mi rang in the back-burner of my mind... It went along the lines of "Going out into the working world is such an important step in your life. Do you think Daddy will just let you go into it like that? If He had allowed so many things in your life while you were in college, He will definitely make "a big deal" out of this as well to glorify Himself through you."
"Y Co.?" (Y because I was wondering "Why this co.?") I didn't want to try. It seemed a little silly to do so: Their website said they did not have open positions, a reliable source working inside personally enquired of their Human Resource Department and was told that they were indeed not hiring (in the department I was trying out for), and Y Co. has been known to me as being strict about fresh graduates in the department that I wanted to apply to.
At that point in time, where I stood, with my heart still clinging on to D Co., I could not see it. I could not recognize the great "Wow, it MUST be God if you got into Y Co. then" if I did get in. So how come I applied for it anyway? I did it purely out of obedience to my parents.
The call to attend an interview came and I rushed back to Malaysia. I shall not enter into the exact details of the interview and assessment, but it was good though it was very tough- My assessment included 2 additional essays that were technical Qs (Note: Candidates are usually required to write only 1 personal essay according to the topics available to choose from, so I did that and 2 more) and my interviewer asked me a lot of scenario based and open ended questions that left me convinced I was not going to get the job because I didn't have experience. The fact that it ended with a note that I needed to go through a second interview with the partner himself sealed my disappointments.
Oh, how I was wrong. The interview with the partner came through! Turns out they were actually impressed and pleased with my assessment and first interview- which is still beyond my comprehension even to date, and thus, I was offered the job.
In retrospect, I see now that if I did get into D Co., although it would still be by God's grace, most likely, I would've turned proud. The rejection had to happen that I may be humbled and abandoned to God so He could glorify Himself and I would be reminded to depend on Him in everything.
Clearly, our God works in all things for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)
God's divine providence is just... amazing.
Lost in wonder,
Mi.
I came upon this passage just as life was "picking up" again after a series of events and reading the above extracts, I knew I had to share this... for His glory...
I had just sent my application to D Co. (I'm calling it D Co. as it was THE company that I had set my heart and hopes to work in) and despite my confidence and convictions up till that moment in time, something came up- there was a stirring in my heart that seemed to tell me that though I had that peace, the qualifications... just before I sent the application in- I'm actually not going to get the job.
I was devastated. Broken. I cried out to God and shared with Me the fears in my heart and though I wish this was the turning point of my story, it wasn't. The call came, followed by the e-mail. I was rejected (though those were not the actual words).
Little rays of hope came in to try out for D Co. again so I took it, though this time around, I knew was only trying because I still couldn't let go of it- God had something better in store but at that point in time, I wasn't greedy, I would gladly settle for D Co.
But throughout that time, something that Me said to Mi rang in the back-burner of my mind... It went along the lines of "Going out into the working world is such an important step in your life. Do you think Daddy will just let you go into it like that? If He had allowed so many things in your life while you were in college, He will definitely make "a big deal" out of this as well to glorify Himself through you."
"Y Co.?" (Y because I was wondering "Why this co.?") I didn't want to try. It seemed a little silly to do so: Their website said they did not have open positions, a reliable source working inside personally enquired of their Human Resource Department and was told that they were indeed not hiring (in the department I was trying out for), and Y Co. has been known to me as being strict about fresh graduates in the department that I wanted to apply to.
At that point in time, where I stood, with my heart still clinging on to D Co., I could not see it. I could not recognize the great "Wow, it MUST be God if you got into Y Co. then" if I did get in. So how come I applied for it anyway? I did it purely out of obedience to my parents.
The call to attend an interview came and I rushed back to Malaysia. I shall not enter into the exact details of the interview and assessment, but it was good though it was very tough- My assessment included 2 additional essays that were technical Qs (Note: Candidates are usually required to write only 1 personal essay according to the topics available to choose from, so I did that and 2 more) and my interviewer asked me a lot of scenario based and open ended questions that left me convinced I was not going to get the job because I didn't have experience. The fact that it ended with a note that I needed to go through a second interview with the partner himself sealed my disappointments.
Oh, how I was wrong. The interview with the partner came through! Turns out they were actually impressed and pleased with my assessment and first interview- which is still beyond my comprehension even to date, and thus, I was offered the job.
In retrospect, I see now that if I did get into D Co., although it would still be by God's grace, most likely, I would've turned proud. The rejection had to happen that I may be humbled and abandoned to God so He could glorify Himself and I would be reminded to depend on Him in everything.
Clearly, our God works in all things for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)
God's divine providence is just... amazing.
Lost in wonder,
Mi.
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