Such a blessed song! I still remember just one year ago when every line in this song seemed to speak and groan the achings of my heart! I am not too sure how but God had mercy on me and allowed me to cling to Him. I had been waiting and waiting for more than a month by then for a work placement. Having gone through too many interviews and facing the disappointment afterwards was a toil. Many of my friends had found jobs by then, or were working on something else. I seemed to be the only one spending time at home, night and day, just waiting. I was almost angry at God for not giving me a job. (As if I could demand a job out of my maker?!) But that was what it was and the whole period was a lot of wrestling with doubts that God knew what was good for me. I had issues with not getting a job because I thought I had worked hard enough and was not all that stupid. I had even naively thought that I wanted to glorify God through my career by serving communities but in end I cared more about myself and securing a job for myself. I was also tired of people asking me how I was doing or what I was doing. Just so tired of searching and trying to attain something...
I would have liked to say that I trusted God through all this, that He would provide for me with something that was best for me and I would be absolutely accepting and obedient to God's will but the truth is that I struggled with that and essentially wanted a perfect job and a perfect education and just basically an ideal life that I desired. I don't know what happened but while I was still really sad and broken, God just gave me a job through connections without me even having to prepare for an interview or anything at all. All I had to do was go grab some maple butter cookies and maple syrup nougats to bring as gifts because my job was in Hong Kong. So as much as I wanted to do things my way and depend on my "capabilities", God totally showed me that I couldn't even secure a job on my own! And again, God showered immense blessings -though i was undeserving of i- that He gave me a job as a Research Assistant at the Chinese University of Hong Kong under a Planning Prof with many, abundant learning opportunities that I did not even imagine i would have!
The waiting was for sure a difficult time and hard to bear but the desperate pleas were definitely heard and even when we are faithless, the promises of the Most Faithful holds true. And God knows best! It was more of a learning to be patient when I was not and only because I was forced into such a circumstance. Indeed, God was merciful to demonstrate His providence in my life, so that I can learn as an outcome of this to trust and obey in Him more and more through every trial and suffering. This combined work term I did not have to learn the same lesson. But similarly, everyone here has been wonderfully kind and a great learning experience for me. Again, it's time to count the Blessings!
Romans 8
Future Glory
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, butbecause of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 Forin this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because[g] the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,[h] for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
God's Everlasting Love
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be[i] against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised— who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.[j] 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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