He's my Provider

Been reading Blackaby and King's Experiencing God. There are a lot of names God goes by that I know of, and for me, that's a bit too many names to remember. I mean, I can hardly remember the names of every single person I meet in Campus Christian Movement or in uni. But there's one that sticks in me, and probably the only one I know in Hebrew, which is Jehovah Jireh.

I'm convinced my primary love language is words of affirmation, and my secondary is physical touch. That means I feel loved when someone tells me something positive or affirming about myself, and when someone shows their affection by touch. However, God speaks not only to me with timely scripture and his presence, but he speaks to me in a third language: gifts.

I don't know why, I never saw myself a big fan of gifts. I think people can put their money to better use than to waste it on money to buy me stuff. I still haven't used that MP3 player Ian Lim gave me (When I first saw it on my desk without any name on it, I was freaked out). Books were left unread until maybe 2 years later. But come to think of it, I do get excited over free stuff. And I do enjoy drawing for people. It's a talent that I don't seek payment for. Giving of my time and energy is what I do a lot of times to help.

But why I am able to do it so freely is because I experience God's provision many, many times. There was this one time in my third year I was invited to apply for an industrial training program organised by my uni. I get to work for six months, never have to go to uni, do a couple of assignments, get paid, submit a report and get my full credit points for the semester, instead of sitting for the normal Chemical Engineering fourth year first. I wrote and fussed over a cover letter and resume and applied. Next thing you know, I was in. My 3 months work experience is settled. I can then cancel my invitation to do a summer research scholarship and book my flight home to see my relatives in Malaysia.

That bubble burst when I was in the middle of cleaning the shower. I had just visited the factory for an interview a week ago. Then, I got a call from my supervisor. He told it to me frankly. The manager didn't think I will adapt to the environment of the paper recycling plant. He wanted another guy. The uni had no other alternative companies for me. I was left unemployed with two of my options to gain the work experience lost for good.

How will God provide for me the work experience? I graduate, or actually am supposed to, next year. It was then I experienced God's provision that I thought impossible. A supervisor was sympathetic to my plight and offered me a research assistant's job for the summer vacation. My January, February, June and July holidays were all taken up to meet the work experience by baking pieces of blood and sewage. But in a blessing in itself, I was able to be present in the university and meet wonderful fellow engineers who transferred to Australia. I wouldn't have been able to know them well if I had worked outside of uni for the past 6 months. There are possibly many blessings in that itself, but I saw God's hand in this, and I thought to myself, what else has God been providing me with all this while?

Well, there was the Wellington house, which became my house for three years plus, now the most used ministry house for uni events and where I met my wonderful housemates. It was a provision for me as I really badly wanted to move out of the Halls. Then, there was my first car. This guy was about to sell it for scrap, but I got it for a bargain and have driven ever since January 2009. It too has helped me bless in many more ways than before. Then there were the scholarships, both in my undergraduate and for my masters. Then, there were all the HDs and the Ds where I should have gotten Cs. And there was the first class honours. I will always know I'm a slow person, and this is a living testimony that God is giving all this to me.

As I looked back and saw my desire to give, donating to the church and tithing, God has return it a thousand fold over the years. I will not be afraid to give now, nor should I worry when it seems help will never come, because I know God will provide.

Genesis 22
v7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?"
"Yes, my son?" Abraham replied.
"The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"
v8 Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together.