Today’s circumstances are a part of God’s perfect plan.
I, like so many of my friends and colleagues, am currently seeking gainful employment. Having been at it for several months now, I’ve discovered that job searching is like a roller coaster ride, with many ups and downs.
I really enjoy investigating new jobs and imagining how I might fit in at this or that company. Job networking and applying for new positions are also sources of encouragement. On the other hand, rejection letters and non-responses to dozens of letters, emails and phone calls are real downers. It’s very easy to become discouraged.
Tenacity is a key ingredient in a successful job search. The Scottish theologian Oswald Chambers described tenacity like this, “… more than endurance, it is endurance combined with the absolute certainty that what we are looking for is going to transpire.”
A job seeker must have confidence in his or her abilities to perform the job sought. Otherwise, the search is doomed to fail. More importantly, every searcher must have faith that what is happening today is part of God’s perfect plan.
God has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5 NIV) He will not depart from you, not for your sins or any other shortcomings. Even when you understand this, however, it is still quite easy to allow your thoughts to turn into fear. At such times, it’s important to realize you’re listening to your own fears, not His promises.
While you might be waiting for God to do something big in your future, like giving you the perfect job you’ve been dreaming of or something else, never lose sight of what He’s doing right now. Whatever your final goal may be, remain spiritually tenacious in your search and seek joy in the present moment. God’s perfect plan for you will not be undone by your present circumstances. Today’s circumstances are a part of His plan.
Like St. Paul and Silas singing hymns while locked in a jail in Philippi, when we learn to be confident in God’s promises we can glorify him even in the direst of circumstances.
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” —Hebrews 10:23 (NIV)
Divine Simplicity 
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