Promises for those struggling with unemployment

The below is taken from the Jan 25th post by Steve Fuller at:

LIVING BY FAITH BLOG

Practical, battle-tested, real-life help for "living by faith in the Son of God” (Gal 2:20). — Steve Fuller

 

http://livingbyfaithblog.com/2012/01/25/what-god-promises-for-those-struggling-with-unemployment/

Promises are crucial
Faith means trusting all that God promises to be to us in Christ Jesus.
Which means that faith needs to focus on specific promises.
So if you are unemployed — what promises does God have for you?
Because of Jesus God will provide everything you need.

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

Unemployment is not sin. But all of us, employed and unemployed, have sinned. And yet, because of Jesus’ death, we can all turn to God by faith, and He will give us everything we need.
And I mean everything — stronger faith, encouragement, wisdom, steadfastness, money, a job — everything we need.
God will deliver you from problems you caused yourself
You can do everything right and still get laid off. But what if you caused your unemployment? What if you didn’t work hard, were caught lying, or made mistakes? Look at God’s promise in Psalm 50:15 –

Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.

If you genuinely confess any wrongdoing, humble yourself before the Lord, and call upon Him, He will deliver you. There may be consequences from what you’ve done. But God won’t turn from us because of sin or mistakes.
Remember how Abraham’s lie caused his wife Sarah to be taken into Pharaoh’s harem? God had mercy on them and delivered Sarah. He will also deliver you.
God will bless you through wrongs others have done.
What if you lost your job because of an unjust boss, someone’s slander, or foolish politicians? It would be easy to see yourself as a victim. But you are not. Even the wrongs done to you by others are part of God’s plan to bring you great good.
Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery resulting in years in a dungeon. But look at how he describes this – 

As for you [brothers], you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. Genesis 50:20

No one can do anything to you that will cause you ultimate loss. God has planned every loss as a way to bring you great and glorious good.
God is in complete control.
God is not worried about GDP growth, unemployment figure, or manufacturing indexes. He controls everything, including the heart of every business owner in your city –

The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will. Proverbs 21:1

When I worked in real estate, and had slow times, I remember thinking that God controlled all the real estate transactions in Santa Clara County — and that He could give me 100 sales tomorrow if he wanted to.
In the same way — God is in complete control of your employment. Not that you can skip networking, interviewing, and sending out resumes. God will work through these. But He is in complete control.
God will provide the job and income you need.
That’s what Jesus promises in Matthew 6:33 –

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

There is a condition — we must seek first His kingdom and righteousness. That doesn’t mean seeking Him perfectly — this side of heaven none of us seeks God perfectly. But it means seeking Him genuinely, earnestly, and confessing when we fail.
If that’s your heart — then the God who has always been, who created the heavens and the earth, and who has never broken a promise swears that He will provide the job and income you need.
Not necessarily the job and income you want. But the job and the income you need to fulfill His call and find your heart-satisfaction in Him.
God has a perfect plan for each day you are unemployed.

… in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. Psalm 139:16

Since God is in complete control, each day you are unemployed is a day He has chosen to have you be unemployed. And God has meaningful activity for you during each of those days.
So what does He want you to do? He will give you wisdom (James 1:5). Obviously you will be networking, sending out resumes, and job-searching.
But also spend extra time in the Word and prayer. Take time each day to set your heart more strongly on the Super-Piling. Encourage and pray with others who are unemployed. One of my friends got a job at Target to make some money and stay productive during his unemployment.
Don’t just spend your days waiting for a job. God has a perfect plan for each day you are unemployed.
God will give you full joy in Himself without a job.
That’s in Habakkuk 3:17-18 –

Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

This will not be easy. You will be tempted to think your joy depends on a job. But it doesn’t.
So ask Him to pour His Spirit upon you. Plead with Him to free you trusting a job for your joy. Set your heart upon Scriptures describing Him. And pray over those Scriptures until you see — and feel — that Jesus is all you need.