By Josephine Lim Weston
Saturday, 31st October 2020
We have just watched our UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a four week lockdown throughout England effective from next Thursday due to Covid-19. This is an announcement that everyone dreaded. We worried for our country's economy and also Malaysia and around the world. We know of people who have been made redundant or lost their jobs. This has become a burden in my heart and my husband's and I'm sure many of you feel the same too. Afterwards I sat down to read for Janick his bedtime bible story and what a coincidence the story was taken from Matthew 6:25-34 and it ends with “If God takes care of them (birds and the flowers), God will take care of you.”
Matthew 6
25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or
what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life
more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the
birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your
heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which
of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
As I was reading the Bible story to my son I knew in my heart that this is exactly what God wants to tell all of us and that we are to remind ourselves of this whenever we are afraid, anxious, wondering and in doubt, say, "My Abba Daddy God will take care of me." If you are looking for a job right now do believe in your heart that our God knows and He is taking care of it for you. If you are not well and wanting healing, say to yourself, "My Abba Daddy God is taking care of me and He has healed me." If you are uncertain of the future and it looks bleak say to yourself, "My Abba Daddy God takes care of me and my future is secure in His hands. I will not be shaken because I have a good Shepherd who provides for me and my family."
Matthew 6:9-10
So then, this is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
I remember way back in 2007 when my application for a UK working holiday visa was approved, I sent my CV/ resume to many UK companies every single day for months right up to almost the day of my departure to UK but only one company in London responded and asked me to get in touch with them when I finally arrived in London. I sent my resumes to thousands of companies but only one replied to my email and by God's grace very soon upon my arrival in London I went for the interview and I was offered the job on that very day and worked in the same company for almost 10 years. Hence I want to encourage all of you who have been affected by the pandemic and lost your job and livelihood, I hereby want to encourage you to keep on and keeping on sending your resume to as many companies as possible. Don't give up and don't speak negatively to your situation. Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. 1 Peter 3:10 For he that will love life and see good days, let him cause his tongue to cease from evil and his lips that they speak no guile.
I remember before I came to UK and haven't secured a job offer someone said to me what if you can't find a job there and what will you do? I said I don't mind to work even as a waitress if I have to as all I wanted to do was to give myself a break and travel around Europe and would be nice to work and earn some money and go traveling after. I don't want to be like a frog in the well. True enough coming to UK had enlightened me in so many ways. Of course I didn't apply to be a waitress as I just kept on applying for jobs in line with my varied working experience and God in His favour blessed me with a job and much more. Not only was I being offered a job but my bosses went on to apply five years work permit for me and that ultimately led me to being granted a UK Indefinite leave to remain. Truly Abba Daddy God takes care of me. It doesn't mean that if you have applied for so many jobs and you weren't called or offered any job even after attending numerous job interviews that God doesn't care for you and doesn't answer your prayers. No, it just means God has a better job for you and it will come at the right time. All those thousands of companies didn't even offer me any interviews neither reply to my emails but only that one particular UK company so I want to tell you, it's fine if you get no response from companies as all you need is just that one - the right one God has in store for you. So you might ask what must I do now while waiting for the right job to come. Just keep trusting and speak life and positivity to your situation no matter how bleak the economy or situation might seem because our Abba Daddy God cares for you. Keep on keeping on praying, trusting, giving thanks to God and try and try again till you get the job or whatever you are hoping and praying for. Psalm 71:14 But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.
I want to tell you that God not only cares for you, He loves you deeper than you can possibly fathom and it's important that we all know this when we are feeling down. My eldest son Jean-Luc is a very cheeky, mischievous and bigger than life kind of boy. He drives us (really very very....) mad everyday but my husband and I love him dearly. My husband and I do discipline him but at the same time our love for him is not affected by what he does as my husband still thinks of Jean-Luc whenever he shops and will buy him toys etc that my husband knows will make him happy. Jean-Luc has that immense confidence in our love for him and he is secure in our love even though we do discipline him from time to time and so I want to encourage all of us with this - “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I (God) will not forget you. (Isaiah 49.15). Isaiah 46:4 Even to your old age, I (God) will be the same, and I will bear you up when you turn gray. I have made you, and I will carry you; I will sustain you and deliver you.
1 Peter 5.6-7
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because He cares for you.
Whenever we are discouraged or just want to lift up our spirit or morale, let us speak life to our situations, there's power when we say, "My Abba Daddy God cares for me and He is taking care of my needs/ prayers for He loves me deeply." Say it with all our hearts. Do keep on praying for our countries and government no matter how hopeless we think because if we don't it will only get worse. So pray and ask God to lead us to pray for our countries, government and our fellow countrymen not only for the economy, jobs, livelihood, peace, harmony, health, etc but most importantly their salvation that more people will know Jesus and find hope in time like this.
2
Chronicles 15:7
But as for you, be strong; do not be discouraged, for your work will be
rewarded."
Isaiah 41:10
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will
strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand of
righteousness.
