The Goodness of God

When I think of the year 2017, my memory floods with the adversities I experienced while I was unemployed. It was in 2017 I discovered the bliss of custard; it was also the period that Goodluck Jonathan’s cassava bread agenda finally bore fruit and could be found in major supermarkets like Shoprite. My go to meal each day was cassava bread and custard while I managed whatever little funds I had to pay for fuel for my car and the generator amongst other bills. On numerous occasions, I would spend the afternoon at Nevada Hotel’s bar just so I could charge my phone and laptop ahead of another marathon of job applications. So, imagine my dismay when I was invited for an interview at an e-commerce company and I didn’t have the funds to buy fuel, thank God for an ex-colleague that lent me money. Or when I had to go to church on a Sunday and my tank was in reserve, somehow God got the car and I to church and back.

It was in this period that I found my way back to God once again. Nothing like a period of adversity to make you draw closer to God (James 4:8, NKJV). After interviewing with the e-commerce company, I was called back for a few more interviews, even got to the point of sending my payslips and all. Then radio silence. The pain from the disappointment was indescribable. At the same time, my rent was due, more bills. Somehow, God provided for me and made a way for me in the wilderness (Is. 43:19 NKJV; 41:18, NKJV). Out of nowhere, I got a call from a company I had never heard of to attend an interview. Imagine my shock when I found out that I was referred by the final interviewer from the e-commerce company that gave me radio silence. God is good! You would think by now that my hope was restored, and my faith strengthened. Nope! Instead, I fell further into despair as I wasn’t sure if I could deal with the disappointment of another rejection. To top it, my savings had fully dried up and as I told my guy “I no get two 50naira notes (or $0.15) to rub together”. It was in this moment that I learnt that even in the darkest valley, God is with us. One hot afternoon, of course there was no light, the Holy Spirit reminded me of Joshua 1:9, NKJV: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” The first part of the verse “Have I not commanded you” hit me like a bolt of lightning. It was as if I was reading the verse for the first time. That verse along with Ps. 118:15-16, NKJV became my battle cry. Within one week of doing the interview, this unknown company gave me a job offer with a resumption date set for just a few weeks later. It was like a dream; my captivity of unemployment had been turned around (Ps. 126:1, NKJV).

Fast forward to 2019, I had been working for a few years and also entered a new phase of life 😊. Anyways, new phase, new battle. This time, I was also responsible for another adult. Mhen what a trying phase. The old problems of lack of funds came up again. Not too long before this period, there was a particular song reigning called “Able God” and one of the key lines in the chorus goes: Shower your blessings, we want this money. It was a street anthem and spoke to so many of us experiencing the pains of insufficient funds (ATM oh!!!). Going through this period, anything I could sell, I sold. TV I was given as a gift, sold. Iphone, sold. Every credit alert at the end of the month was instantly followed by two debit alerts from loans I had taken to survive. Times were tough, and then came Covid. No savings, and my company started talking about salary cuts. Then came job cuts. Every call from HR was as nerve wracking as the next. Somehow, God brought me through these times. And He did it by His valiant right hand (Ps. 118:15, NKJV).

Amid Covid, I developed a desire to go on an MBA program. One that I didn’t have the funds for. But guess what? God has being faithful. The bible says “a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries” (I Cor. 16:9, NKJV). This was certainly my case but through it all, God was faithful and everything I needed, He provided. Did the devil stop trying to prevent me from walking through this door? Nope! In fact, a day or two after I applied for a study visa, Nigeria was added to the red list. Throughout the peak of the pandemic, when the traffic light system was used, Nigeria wasn’t on that list to the best of my knowledge and my limited google search lol. But here I was, visa pending, and now a red list. Romans 5:3-5, NKJV and James 1:2-4, NKJV talk about counting it joy when we go through trials and tribulations. Isn’t that crazy? It says so because just as gold is purified through fire, so do we as children of God develop and get refined. Thanks to all the previous trials and tribulations, we had developed the knowledge that God never fails, and we were able to trust in Him. Despite the red list, our visa came out on time (Glory to God) and a few days after, the red list was abolished. Cue a manic one-week period to book a flight, dispose of our possessions, take the Covid test and say goodbye to family and friends. All this was made possible thanks to the goodness of God. The same God that did it for me, can do it for you. Nahum 1:7, NKJV says: The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him. I am a testament to His goodness and if He has being good to me, He will surely be good to you, even in the darkest moments of life. Trust in Him! He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8).

 

P.S. Here are 23 verses that you can read about the goodness of God.

P.P.S. This is a song that has blessed me: Nothing like your presence- William McDowell ft. Travis Greene & Nathaniel Bassey

Photo cred: 23 Verses