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Another weekend burnt by work. Staring at my office calendar, I wished I was home, or elsewhere – anywhere but here! Working retail hours and weekends left me with no time for things that were truly important to me – friends, family, and serving God. Months ago, I was seeking God regarding my work. Whenever I poured out my complaints to God, He would encourage me to be contented and joyful in my job. Throughout my struggles at work, I was thankful that my wife and Sectional Leader came alongside to encourage

me. God used people around me to assure me of His goodness. My wife has always been very understanding of my job situation. Before we were married, we had a heart-to-heart talk regarding my work hours. Together, we prayed and committed the situation to God.

I never thought I would see a change in my job situation. In my life, I have heard many powerful testimonies of how our miraculous God provided for my friends’ needs. But it would be even more awesome to be able to experience it first-hand as well.

God met the needs of these

Trinitarians, above and beyond what they could imagine. And His blessings overflowed for a greater purpose – to enable them to bless others. Carol Lim speaks to Roy Tan and Jenny Lee to hear their stories.

God gave me a new job!

> REAL-LIFE MIRACLE

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God gave me a new job!

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I remember when God first gave me hope that my stressful work situation could change. It was a Friday evening and our carecell gathered for dinner before the God Encounter Meeting (GEM). Out of the blue, my carecell member shared that her company was hiring. Something within me lit up.

However, I had already established with God that I would try to be joyful and stay put in my current job. At the same time, I trusted Him to do whatever was necessary. A still small voice asked if this job opening could be from God. Nevertheless, I reasoned, “This is probably my own human thinking. Since God’s message for me was to stay put, I guess I should!” I brushed aside the thought of applying for the job.

During GEM, Pastor Dominic gave an altar call for those seeking new jobs. I shifted uneasily in my seat. Even though I willed myself to be joyful in my current job, I was honestly not happy. I struggled if I should go to the altar to be prayed for. I wrestled with God like Jacob in the Bible. My mind tried to process these thoughts while my heart tried to stay calm, but the thoughts and feelings would not ease until I submitted to God, saying, “Yes, God! Take control of my job situation.”

Taking a step of faith, I went to the altar. When Pastor Dominic urged us to write a testimony to the church when God answered our prayers, a sense of warmth welled up within me and a calming peace enveloped me. As I was being prayed for, I felt that God was giving me a big hug and all my doubts melted away.

Monday came. I was supposed to send in my resume to my carecell member but had not done it yet. Quickly, I submitted it before heading to work. I prayed and committed the whole process to God. My carecell member told me that several candidates had already been rejected, but my wife and I clung to the faith that if this job was from God, He would open the doors for me.

Two weeks and four interviews later… I got the job! I could hardly believe it. Jehovah Jireh, God our Provider, blessed me with this new job. Praise God!

God’s ways and timing are perfect. The

company I moved to was expanding. Hence, I was given this job during a time when they needed more staff. Furthermore, my immediate supervisors were supportive when I shared that my new job was provided for by God. I could have faced resistance and difficulty in leaving this job, but instead God gave me much peace and favor when I left.

Now I thank God for a job with weekday 9-5 working hours; I have more time to spend with family, friends, and to serve God. I promised God that I would invest more time in serving Him and equipping myself through LEAD classes.

God’s provision allowed me to give more too. Even though I did not have prior experience in this industry, I received a 50% pay increment. This increment for the rest of the financial year made up the exact amount needed to fulfill my Missions Faith Promise. I was speechless when I realized this. “Wasn’t this the work of God?” I exclaimed in amazement. We are indeed blessed to be a blessing!

I know that it is not by my might, nor by chance, that I landed this job. It is our God who provides through His grace. Do you need God to intervene in your situation? Let us trust Him with our requests, as spoken by our Lord in Matthew 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

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“This is exactly the one I used to have,” I mused, looking wistfully at the car in front of me.

At the carpark of my new workplace was one which was the same color and model I used to have. Every morning when I went to work, I would see this car.

“Did I make the right decision?” I questioned as I walked past, swallowing a knot in my throat as I tried to converse with God.

You see, I used to be a manager, and a car (and petrol) was part of my pay package. The convenience of having a car was precious to me. With this change in job, I was doing away with that convenience.

Two years ago, I began looking for a more community-centered

job. I found my previous job meaningless and wanted to do something different. I started praying, and I whispered to God, “Anything but full-time ministry.” I joked about it with my friends too. During this time, there were occasions God seemed to be nudging me towards full-time ministry, but I simply brushed those thoughts away.

The turning point came last August when I attended Trinity’s baptism service. Seeing many of our full-time staff, a thought struck me: “One has to love God a lot to serve in the full-time ministry.” The next day, I realized that the church office was looking for an Assistant Manager in a certain department. At that moment, God broke through the silence and asked,“Do you love me a lot?” I

UP CLOSE > REAL-LIFE MIRACLE

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We can never out-give God!

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was taken aback yet touched by His voice. I knew that it was God calling me to serve Him in a full-time capacity. Opening my heart and mind, I responded in obedience to His call. I knew deeply in my heart that God could not be wrong.

However, transiting into my new job was not easy. The workload, working hours and responsibilities were different from what I was used to. I found it hard to adjust, but I refused to cave in to stress because I knew that God placed me here for His purpose.

I prayed for strength to be an overcomer in Christ, determined to work through the obstacles. God is marvelous! Daily, He assured me of His call, affirmed my decision, and never once gave up on me. During the GEM sessions, as I responded in faith, God assured me that He would provide for my every need, even beyond my wildest imagination.

Weeks passed, and I realized that as I turned my eyes upon Jesus and His promise of providence, I was no longer looking out for that car at the carpark anymore. Then, God orchestrated something amazing. A couple was migrating overseas, and having known about how I “gave up” my car to enter full-time ministry, they felt led to offer me a blessing – their car. Wow! This took me by surprise. It was beyond what my mind could comprehend. But I was worried about not being able to cope with the cost of maintaining a car, and hence declined the offer.

During the church camp, the couple again persuaded me to consider taking up their

offer. They told me that God will definitely provide for me. Faith welled up within me as I recounted the many times God had graciously provided in my life. I remembered there was a time when our family needed a new coffee table and God provided us with a new one through a friend. This was just one example of His mind-blowing generosity. Time and again, God always assured me that in Him, I would have no lack. With renewed courage, I took a step of faith to receive the car from this couple, trusting that God would work all things - including the finances - out for me.

I knew that it was not just convenience for my family that came with the car, but God had a greater purpose for blessing me with one. The first time I was blessed with a car (in my previous job), I would use it to fetch my son’s friend to church every Sunday. This was my way of being a good steward of His provision. Now I am waiting in anticipation of what God wants me to do with this car. I am blessed so that I may give!

Through these events, I learnt an important lesson: obedience is the key to unlocking God’s providence. When we respond in obedience, God will bless and take care of us. We can never out-give God. When I made the decision to take on the new job in faith, I could trust Him to lead and provide. He is good and always will be.

When you have a need, never be afraid to ask God and to obey Him. “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21 (NKJV)

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