God Never Forsook Me

Author:Dexter Goh
I have been a Christian for more than 20 years. However, no one would have recognized the Christian in me until less than three years ago.  My aunt brought me to her church at the Evangel Family Church when I was 7 years old.  Despite accepting Christ at the age of 10 years old, I was just somebody who attended church on Sunday without having a relationship with God.  The situation got worse when I entered Secondary school as I faced setbacks and blamed God for it.  I fought with my parents, was sent to the school counsellor for it, got retained in Secondary 2, and was diagnosed with depression soon after that.  I was bitter with God and tried to leave church.  My youth leader, however, kept persuading me and made sure I kept going to church.  I went and experienced the grace of God in my life.  Still, I did not have a relationship with God.

After working for 2 years, I felt that I was not getting the opportunities at work that I thought I deserved.  I was restless and dissatisfied with God again.  I started making plans to leave my job but not before securing my promotion and going for trainings that I wanted before leaving.  As some of you might know, it is normal for people to get all the benefits possible before leaving an organisation on short notice.  I did that too. My best friend, Benjamin, however, did not.  He was a senior in my department and tried persuading me to inform our boss earlier instead of acting selfishly.  I ignored his advice and left the organisation with my promotion, the training I wanted and gave the required one month notice for my resignation.  I felt vindicated but had no peace about my selfishness.

Four months after leaving my job, I still had no peace and wanted to return to God after having not gone to church for more than a year.  I needed a church that God was going to let me settle in and grow closer to Him.  An ex-colleague, Angela, came to mind.  We had met for lunch on 2 occasions where she asked if I was attending church.  She encouraged me to return to church.  This time when we met, I asked about her church and shared with her how the past months had made me want to return to God.  She invited me to her church at the Queenstown Baptist Church and the rest was history.  I started attending worship service, Sunday school, cell group and joined the cell group leadership committee within a year of attending church.

Since returning to God, I have developed a relationship with God and a deep love for God as I read His word as well as fellowship with other Christians.  This testimony, however, is not complete without mentioning how God showed His perfect grace in my love life too.  With multiple failures in past courtships, I made a decision to God that I will accept His will for my love life, even if it was to be single like the apostle Paul.  God’s grace, however, knows no bounds and all He seeks is my obedience to Him.  After sending Angela and Benjamin to bring me back to Him, He sent Charissa to be my wife as His commitment of blessing me with my heart’s desires when I chose to put Him first in my life.

No matter how many times I forsook God, God never forsook me.  When I chose to leave church as a youth, he sent me my youth leader.  When I chose to stop going church as a working adult, he sent me my ex-colleague, Angela.  When I chose to live my life in a worldly manner for selfish gains, he sent me my best friend, Benjamin.  When I chose to obey God’s will for me, he sent me my wife, Charissa.  Glory and gratitude to God for His never failing love and grace.