The Blesser or The Blessing

The Chinese New Year celebration is already past one week and many are returning to work. In times like this, we thank God that there is still work available for us. The sad news of unemployment and company closure are becoming more intensified recently as the economic situation had changed for the worse with each passing day and does not appear to have reached bottom. Some of the American, European and Taiwanese based companies have already taken drastic measures since end of 2008 and now the Japanese companies are starting to introduce their cost reduction measures.
Human Resources Minister Datuk S. Subramaniam said most of the 45,000 factory workers facing temoporary layoff during the Chinese New Year festive season are from electronics factories in Penang, Selangor and Johor [The Sun dated January 20]
According to an economist, the country's economy will be heading towards a sharp slowdown in the first half of this year following the decline in the Leading Index for the second consecutive month in November 2008.

In this time of uncertainty, what are our point of focus. Is it the things related to our family, our children, our work or .... ?

I believed it is time for all of us to be prudent in our spendings and be a goood steward of our finances and resources. We need to spend on essentials (our basic needs) and not in our wants. I believe God is our Jehovah Jireh and will live up to His name by providing to our needs.

2 Timothy 1 : 12 - That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

In this time of uncertainty, we should seek the BLESSER and His blessing will follow. If we seek the blessing it will be there only when we seek it and the blessing will not follow us.
So focus on Him, Him and Him alone - Jesus Christ our BLESSER as we journey into the year 2009 and surely He will carry us through.

God is our Jehovah Jireh

Even in this time of global crisis, where everyone is worried and concerned about our tomorrow, I can boldly declare that God is real and is still our Jehovah Jireh.

I was reminded about my trip to Miri from 9 - 14 October. My wife started to look for cheap airfare in early September and invited me to join her for the trip but I was reluctant and told her to go alone, as I hope to save my share for better use later. Together with my daughter, they booked two seats by AirAsia for herself and me. I was not very happy as I have to spend extra expenses and needed to trouble my colleague to assist my office work. A few days before departing, a close friend invited us out for supper and gave us some love offerings and told us to use it to enjoy ourselves. I was very embarassed and touched.
Firstly, embarassed because God used a close friend to bless us and reminded me that He knows my worry (financial concern). Secondly, God have not forgotten about my needs and He is very much alive and I need to put my trust in Him in all things just as Proverbs 3 : 5 said Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
Truly God is my Jehovah Jireh, my Provider, as we learn to put out trust in Him, He will meet all our needs as Philippians 4 : 19 said And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Matthew 7 : 25