Question description

I struggle to make sense of my presence here in my current city, especially when the goings get tougher. Over time, I have heard people say to me

It is not by chance that this..., it is not by accident that..., it is a divine posturing..., you're purpose for this or that..., and e.t.c.

Is it truly not by accident that I am at my current place? Is it true that where I am at the moment and what I ended up doing are not by accident?

I have asked the questions many times, but convinced myself that I am where I am because this is my place of vocation in this season of my life. In some sense, it comforted me to believe that I am not here by accident. But that is my human sense. What is the Lord saying about my current place? I applied for the job that posted me to here. How can I tell that it is by divine providence that I moved my family to this city/country, not only for our benefits but for us to be a faithful witness for Christ at my workplace and in this city?

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Answer description

This was a difficult question for me to answer, because you pose several perspectives. But after much prayer, God brought two words to my mind to share about what is troubling you. I am assuming, from your writing, that you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. If that is the case, then He is asking you to focus on two words from Scripture, "control & trust". First, God states that He is always in control of the Christian's life. After searching, I think the following four verses best proclaim this, (Is 55:8-9) (Deut 31:8) (Jer 10:23) (Prov 20:24)  I suggest that you read and pray over these promises and ask God to speak to and assure you from them. But in these passages you will see that, as His children, God assures that He is in control of every aspect of our lives. We run into trouble when our eyes are drawn away from Him and they become focused on circumstances. Doubt, uncertainty & fear are the result. We begin to question if God could possibly be in the midst of our situation. Every believer finds themselves with these doubts, especially when times are bad. I know I do. But I have learned to recognize when the "enemy" is working to disrupt my peace and I just say to myself "every detail". This reminds me that God is in control of every tiny part of what is going on in my life and He has promised that He is working everything out for good. (Rom 8:28). For me, peace is the key. When I am walking closely with the Lord, He covers me with His peace and doubts flee from my mind. I "trust" that He is in control and thus I do not have to worry about whatever was bothering me. The following are verses I found on "trust" that may help you. (Is 41:10) (Jer 29:11) (Prov 3:5-6) (Phil 4:19) (Rom 15:13) These passages assure us that our God is faithful. He will never leave us. We can ALWAYS trust Him. So when times become troubling, confusing or even dangerous, we can turn to our Lord, because He is right there beside us. We run into difficulty when we try to take care of a situation in our own power. God cannot bless that and thus we struggle. It is a hard lesson to learn that when we find ourselves in a tough spot, to just stop, take a deep breath, and ask the Lord to take the burden on Himself, for we are not capable of carrying it ourself. We can always trust Him to do this for us. He is a gracious God and He loves us unconditionally. And He understands when we struggle. So His peace is ever available if we will put our trust in Him. I hope these assurances from God's word are helpful for you. Take care and God Bless.

Scripture references

Supporting resources

• The Avodah Life

• Do Everything in Jesus’ Name

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