I heard Jesus’ name even before I could utter words. I studied in a Christian school all my life, went to church every Sunday, and enjoyed reading Bible stories. I even cried while watching Jesus nailed on the cross in the movie, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
Yes! I’ve known the story of Jesus from his birth to resurrection, without recognizing the essence of it. Before, I thought that Jesus was just part of history, part of religious stories, just like any other fairy tale.
God blessed me with a loving family. He also blessed me with so many good things in life. When I was in high school, He gave my parents a business, which helped them meet our basic needs and even wants. This business grew big. However, bit by bit, it was stealing away our time for God. We failed to thank Him.
There was a time, it was a Sunday, when some merciless people went forcefully to our house, aimed a gun at my dad, and asked for weapons that we didn’t even have. They told us that they had no bad intentions; they just wanted weapons.
They locked my dad in a room and searched the whole house. They didn’t allow us to accompany them. We all stayed in the dining room. We didn’t have any communication with the outside, because they cut off the phone lines.
When our neighbors sensed that something wrong was happening, they gathered outside our house and called a policeman who also lived nearby. They shouted if we were okay, and my mom lied with a simple, “Yes,” fearing that if she yelled for help, the situation might worsen.
When the so-called search was over, the wicked people asked my dad to drive them somewhere. When we checked our room, we realized that all our valuables were missing. That was when my mom panicked and cried for the security of my dad. And God, who is forever faithful, allowed my dad to return home safely. Praise God! He also didn’t allow those people to steal our collection from customers, which was quite a huge amount.
How did that happen? It was a miracle. My sister told us that the key didn’t work when they were trying to open the door where we kept the money. Praise God again!
But despite God’s protection and blessings, we still failed to give time to Him. We didn’t lack money, but we did lack peace of mind. Food was abundant, but security was scarce.
I believe that it was because of our ungratefulness that God took our business. He’s so good that He took it away when I was about to graduate, just when my parents didn’t have to work so hard for us, because my sister already had a job then.
God didn’t leave us with nothing, but I was devastated. I had taken up a business course for the sake of what He had just taken away.
That was when I felt fear. I was afraid of what might happen to my future. I thought at the time, that’s the only thing we have and God took it away. I was an introverted person, too. I lacked self-confidence, and it gave me a problem as I applied for a job.
In a quiet moment, God let me feel His presence; He let me feel security. I prayed and asked God, “Lord, please give me job that I don’t have to apply for. Just let the jobs knock. A simple office job will do.” I prayed for this every single day.
Barely a week after, God answered my prayer. A friend called and told me that company he was working for was looking for a contract office clerk, someone who could work on computers. He said if I would accept it, I would start as soon as possible. But he also warned me that the job was only good for three to six months.
When you ask something from God, He always gives you beyond your needs, beyond your expectations. He gave me the opportunity to work in a multinational company and I grabbed it. Through God’s mysterious ways, the six months got extended, and my job eventually became regular. I can’t imagine how everything happened; it just went so well.
Because of the greatness that God has shown to me, I became so eager to know him better. I was thirsting for His words then, so I read the Bible more often. But no matter how frequently I read the Scriptures, I still felt that there was something lacking. I asked myself, why?
The answer was simple. I didn’t understand what the Bible was talking about. I was still uncertain about whether I was saved. So I prayed to God to open a venue that would make me understand his words well.
Then I learned that there would be changes in the management at the office. Again, I felt fear, especially when I learned that the person who would be my new boss was the person whom everybody at the office feared. We were all so scared; everybody warned us and told us scary stories about this person. My imagination was on overdrive.
When he took over the office, I was surprised! He was not at all as bad as everybody thought. But terror didn’t leave me. Every telephone ring was still torture for me, because every time I heard it, I’d ask myself, “Did I do something wrong?” – even when I didn’t know who was calling.
Then, one time, I heard music coming from my boss’s office. I listened to every lyric and realized that it was all about praising God. I was so amazed and at the same time felt so relieved – and guilty for judging harshly. I didn’t know that he was already Christian! I was amazed by how Christ can work in someone’s life.
The turning point of my life came when my boss, whom I now consider my friend, invited me to attend Bible study at CCF. This was an answered prayer from God, because I’d longed to attend one. Eventually, every word in the Bible became so clear that I could hear God talking to me.
This is how I’ve come to know who really Jesus is. He is not just a part of history, but also and more importantly a living God who saved me. I’ve sinned against Him, taken away time that should be given to Him. I was ungrateful, and in return, He embraced me and gave me eternal life which I don’t even deserve.
Realizing all these things has changed my life. God’s unearned love for a sinner like me is so unfathomable. Looking back at the things God has done for me only prove that He is control of everything. He deserves every praise! God’s faithfulness to his words and my faith in Him paved my way to eternal life. No more worries for future!
God never ever failed me. The gift of salvation inspired me so much, that’s why I’m here today. I love God so much that I want to obey Him and follow His Word. I could never fail the one who gave me eternal life.
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