Praise the Lord for the many lessons He has placed in my life and which He has reminded me to share with you. I trust that you have been

Greatly Blessed, (stretch wide your arms)
Highly Favored (stretch one arm upwards)
and Deeply Loved (stretch the other arm downwards )
and what have you just done? - made the sign of the cross!

Ever had an experience where you received an answer as soon as you prayed? Well, I did.

Three years ago while I was working for Rabobank, I was heavily burdened about my job. I was getting tired with all those tasks, which I had to do, and also I did not have the peace of God to carry on. One by one, my friends were leaving the bank and there were more and more things piling up on my desk. One Sunday morning some time in early May 1998, while I was worshipping the Lord the pastor encouraged all of us in the congregation to take our problems and cast them to the Lord telling Him that they were His problems to handle.

I took all my worries and burdens of the job and placed them in the palm of my hands, grasped them and turn to throw them to God. As I was doing that, I told the Lord that I was tired of fighting, feeling miserable going to work and the burden of the job was just to heavy for me. I also told the Lord to do something for me with my job. And then I went home. In the taxi home, I told my wife what I just did during the service. She looked at me, gave me a smile and said that she knew my feelings and that she was expecting me to do just that after what the pastor said.

A month and a half past and one day out of the blues a partner from one of the executive search companies called me up and invited me out for lunch. Now I have never heard of this company and neither did I know this person. Of course, he managed to convince me and so we met. During lunch, he mentioned to me that there was a BCP job available in Deutsche Bank and that I was highly recommended for the opening but that he was not at liberty to reveal who this person was who recommended me. He asked me for my CV which I did send him the following day. He submitted my CV to Deutsche Bank Asia Pacific Head Office which in turn forwarded it to Frankfurt Head Office as the vacancy came out of Frankfurt for Asia.

Another month went by and there was no further news. In early August I was subsequently told that the job was abolished due to cost cutting measures and that was the reason for the long silence. I was disappointed and I began to ask God why I was that close and yet not able to even go for an interview. He just told me that I needed to trust Him.

And then events came like an avalanche come September 1998. The executive search person called me again and this time he told me that there was an opening within the Year2000 Project Office of Deutsche Bank and the vacancy was for a Year2000 BCP Analyst and whether I was keen to go for an interview. Of course by now after being let down the first time, I dared not put so much expectation into this new offer and so I told him to do whatever he needed since he already had my CV with him. A week past and one day he called me late in the afternoon to tell me that I had to go for an interview the following evening, which I did. Within a week, I went through two interviews and landed myself a job, which paid me 30 percent more than what I received at my previous job.

Of course I was very curious who recommended me for the post in the first instance. I finally found that out just after I started work here in Deutsche Bank. You see a friend of mine was interviewed for the original position at about the same time when I attended that Sunday Service back in early May. Because he had no banking background, Deutsche Bank rejected him. When the executive Search Company met up with him shortly after the interview to find out what happened, they asked him whether he knew of anyone who might have the necessary background and be interested in the job. Without talking with me, he dropped my name to the company.

When I pieced all these things together, my wife and I were so excited. It reminded us of the provision that Abraham received when he was told to go up Mount Moriah and offer up his son Isaac as a sacrifice to the Lord. I am sure Abraham must have felt sad at first but then he wanted to obey God and so he brought Isaac up the mountain with all the firewood tied to his back. All Abraham had in his hand was a knife and a burning torch, which he used to light up his path up the side of the mountain. Finally when he reached the top he relieved Isaac of the firewood but tied him up with the same rope and laid Isaac his only son on the firewood on top of the altar, which he built with some stones. As he was about to plunge the knife into Isaac, God stopped him and pointed him to a ram, which was caught in the bushes by the horns. Abraham finally offered the lamb and he received his son back. You can read all about this story in the book of Genesis chapter 22.

You see, unknown to Abraham, God was already preparing the ram for him. As Abraham climbed the side of the mountain, the ram was also climbing the mountain on the other side. As we obey the Lord in every circumstance, our Heavenly Father will always provide for our needs.

In fact Jesus told His disciples in John 16: 23 -24: -

23 And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name He will give you.
24 Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

Is it wrong to keep asking the Father for what we need for our daily lives? you may ask. Well, if it is wrong to ask in the first place, then let me submit to you, why did Jesus even make that remark in John 16: 24? You see, the Lord God is our Father in Heaven and as a Father, He delights in His children. Which father does not like to give to his children what they need for their daily lives? If we earthly fathers know how to give gifts to our children, how much more will our Heavenly Father give good gifts to His children. It is indeed a privilege to be counted as a child in the family of our Heavenly Father.

Philippians 4: 19, "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus".

shall - definitive
all - nothing lacking
your - it refers to you, not the person next to you.
according to His riches - we have a Father who owns everything.

Look to the Lord as the supplier for your needs. Just as we earthly parents love to hear our children talking to us and telling us how they feel, I encourage you to talk to your Father about your needs. He is looking forward to hearing you and will not hesitate to bless you.

If you have yet to acknowledge Him as your Heavenly Father, just spend a few moments and invite Him into your life and then you too can call Him "Abba, Father". Join the family and give Him this delight. If you do not know how to, ask a friend who is a Christian and he will teach you to pray. Go on and take that step. I did that 31 years ago and have enjoyed every moment ever since.

Best regards,
Andrew L W Lee

Dated : 30 July 2001