God Knows The Plans He Has For Me

1 week ago, I attended two interviews at MCYS. One was for the position of ‘Rehabilitation Officer’ and another was for ‘Probation Officer’. For the latter interview, I felt that I hadn’t handled it too well, and also felt that I lacked confidence. Thus, I came home last Friday morning feeling rather dejected. I went into my room and sat down on the floor quietly with my Bible beside me. I didn’t know what to say. There was just total silence.

In the next moment, however, I decided to pray. I told God exactly how I felt and lifted up the entire thing to Him. In my prayer, I found myself praying that in spite of whatever mistakes or blunders I had made in the interview, God will intervene and work out everything for me. My prayer was based on Romans 8:28 which I believe the Holy Spirit brought to my mind in that instant – And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. And when I started praying that, the Presence of God came on me. On one hand, I felt assured that God heard my prayer and would come through for me. On the other hand, my heart and mind was still filled with worries. Worries about how this thing will eventually turn out. Worries about how God is going to bring me through it. It took me a long time to break out of that mode of worry. As I sat there on the floor, I struggled through in my prayer. Going back and forth between faith and doubt didn’t make me feel any better and it definitely wasn’t helping me at all.

Finally, I decided that enough is enough. I decided to throw off all my worry and despair and cast my cares on the Lord, because it is God who will sustain me. I realised I won’t get anywhere by dwelling on the past. That interview I attended a few hours before was already a thing of the past. I need to move forward. So I decided there and then that I was just going to place my faith in God and trust Him to deliver me out of this issue. How? I really don’t know. Only God knows. I can’t see the future ahead, but God sees. I just have to make a decision to believe Him and trust Him and stop worrying.

For days after that, I didn’t hear any news. Since the HR personnel told me their side will take about 3-4 weeks to get back to the candidates, I thought I’d just continue to wait and at the same time, continue to send out my resumes. Then, today (exactly 1 week later) I received a call from the HR personnel. He asked me to go down again this coming Tuesday morning to meet the deputy director (DD) of the Family & Child Protection and Welfare branch. I was elated! I did apply for the position of ‘Child Protection and Welfare Officer’ too but didn’t get shortlisted. Now that an opportunity has come along for me to meet up with the DD, I know that no one else made this possible for me except God. :)

I was reminded of Jeremiah 29:11 during my quiet time today. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. God first spoke this verse into my life when I was 16. And I’ve always carried this word in my heart in every phase of my life. Through ‘O’ levels, ‘A’ levels, through university, even till now, this word is an anchor for my soul. God never disappoints me, but has always proven Himself faithful time and again. Whether or not my circumstances appear favourable or unfavourable, this verse never fails to remind me that God knows the plans He has for me. Whether good or bad, God’s purpose is never of evil but of good. I have a living hope, I have a future, because Jesus is my firm foundation. :)