He is intentional

One thing I have really learned the past year and a half, is that NOTHING in my life is haphazard. Why? Because I believe that GOD IS INTENTIONAL.

I didn't discern it in the moment, but looking back over my life and especially the passed months; I see the different times in which God carried me or went ahead and paved the way. I would like to share one such situation with you. 

I got my current job when I wasn't looking for one. 

When I graduated last year, I wasn't so keen on starting to work full time. In fact, the only job I was looking forward to ,was my summer job as an activity leader at a language summer school. I had worked there the previous year in the English department and I absolutely loved it. However, this time I was going to work in the Dutch department although I had applied for the English one. When the company organizing the summer language school offered me the possibility to work for the Dutch department, I was very hesitant as Dutch is my second language and I wasn't sure if I could manage to converse 24/7 in it. Normally, the company only hired native speakers for their different language departments; so this was an exception for them also. I accepted their offer and on  the 31st July 2017, I started my first day as a Dutch department activity leader. 

For four weeks, I was immersed in Dutch and eventually I improved in it myself. It was during those 4 weeks that I applied for my current job. One day, I was on LinkedIn and randomly liked a job vacancy post by a recruiter. After I liked her post, she messaged me privately and asked if I was interested in applying for the job since it fitted my profile. So I applied. A few days later, I had a telephone interview with her in Dutch; and sometime later, a formal interview with the hiring manager also in Dutch. Both interviews went smoothly and I spoke with such ease and confidence. Sometime later, I got the news that I was hired and after signing my contract, I started work on the 31st August 2017. 

So where is God's intentionality in this situation?

For one, I believe God opened the opportunity for me to work in the Dutch department so that I could be more prepared for my job application. My Dutch was good enough before the summer school; but if I didn't use it by being placed in the English department, it would have deteriorated in those weeks just like any second language that isn't used often. Indeed, I wasn't at the summer school only to improve my Dutch for my application; God's intentionality showed itself in many other ways but this is one that really stuck for me. 

Further, I see how God is using Dutch to prepare me to learn German; which will soon become one of my main languages of communication. He is also using my current job to get me in the workforce in Germany by giving me the opportunity to apply for a job in Germany within the company. 

So, all I am saying is that nothing is in vain. I remember being frustrated about not getting the opportunity to work for the English department; but looking back I see that it wasn't for nothing that I got the Dutch department offer instead. 

I'm sure that you too can look back on your life and see His hand guiding and leading you. 

Be confident, dear reader, that no matter what you face; He knows and He's in control. I know I shared something positive, but even in the difficulties He is able and He wastes nothing. I have a testimony coming up about God's intentionality also in difficult times. He is the God of the hills and valleys. 

Many are the plans in a person’s heart,

but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. - Proverbs 19:21

Check out this beautiful song by Travis Green: Intentional

Blessings,

Twisile x

Guest Post: Walking in Obedience to His Way by Wadzanai Kaziboni

Obeying the voice of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit is an important aspect in our daily walk with Christ. We need this continuous and unwavering communication to navigate every aspect in our lives, especially when making decisions that affect us, such as whether or not to do that degree, whether or not to take that job offer and so on. Many a time we find ourselves in situations that would not have occurred had we chosen to obey. We pay that price by making a sacrifice of another element in our life such as our joy, time and perhaps happiness. There are instances also where the voice of God in our hearts is as clear as day and yet we choose to do what we want regardless of the unconcealed guidance and direction of God. This brings me to Saul and his disobedience which he paid a dear price for. In 1 Samuel 15- God clearly instructed Saul to attack Amalek and utterly destroy it. Saul chose to use his discretion, blatantly ignoring the voice of God, by sparing the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings and the lambs and all that was good even though God had set out a clear directive which was to destroy everything.

God then said“I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.”  1 Samuel 15:11.

Does God speak the same of you?

1 Samuel 15:22

“So Samuel said: “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.”

In response to Samuel, Saul said 1 Samuel 15:24“I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.”

We need to learn to hear more of God and less of people around us and to do things out of the fear of God as opposed to doing things because we are scared of people and their opinions no matter how important these people may be to us. It is also important to be able to discern when God is speaking to you through another person. That is why we need to pray for God to teach us to obey and help us to know when it is Him talking, to be able to recognize His voice.

2 Timothy 1:7 “For He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and of a sound mind”

This should be one of the guiding principles when discerning the voice of God.

Hebrews 5:8 “though He was a Son, yet he learned obedience by the things he suffered.” 

This is a clear illustration of one of the ways on which obedience is learned. Sometimes choosing the path of disobedience seems like a more appealing and less rocky-route in the terrains of life. However even though it seems easier and takes less of our time and effort at first glance it costs more in the long run. The path of obedience on the other hand is not an easy one, because it is not that we follow in our own strength therefore we need to ask God to teach us to obey Him and enable us to obey Him. This path is worthwhile because God is our Father and He loves us and has our best interests at heart.

Matthew 7:11 ‘If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”

“But when we position ourselves under the headship of Christ and learn to do what He requires of us, there is a flow of the Holy Spirit that will carry us wherever we need to go.” (Stormie Omartian- The Power of a Praying Woman).