Aveline Shek—Edinburgh, UK

INTRODUCTION

In the name of Jesus, I testify how God provided me with accommodation for my final year of university and taught me that time spent with Him is never wasted. If we use our time for God and focus on building up our faith through prayer and His words, He will not only look after our spiritual needs but will also provide for our physical needs far beyond our expectations.  

REBUILDING MY FAITH DURING YTTC

I was baptized when I was young and my parents have always instilled in me the importance of prayer and Bible reading. They have also regularly reminded me that we need not worry about our physical lives since God will always provide what is best if we pursue spiritual things. However, in my second year of university, driven by peer pressure to prepare for my future and boost my curriculum vitae (CV), I took on many extracurricular commitments alongside my studies. This included joining several student society committees and volunteering for organizations outside of university. Without a conscious effort to examine myself and put God first each day, my life became increasingly filled with the things and people of the world, and less of my time and thoughts were directed toward my spiritual life. I could no longer focus during prayer or gain edification from Bible reading. Attending church became a habit that had no real impact on my daily life as I strayed further from God's commandments. When I finished my exams, I could only think about my uncertain future. I worried about my final year of university and what I should do after graduating.

Before my final year began, I attended the Youth Theological Training Course (YTTC) in Edinburgh in August 2022. I wondered whether or not it would be worth it, as all my university friends and classmates were traveling or working, and I would not have access to social media or email. Yet, in the back of my mind, I knew I needed this time in a spiritual wilderness to seek the face of God again.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (Jas 4:8)

During the three weeks of YTTC, I reflected on why I worried so much about my future and put so much effort into my worldly commitments but almost none into my spiritual life. I realized I was no longer relying on God because the people and things of the world had become my idols. Cherishing them over the abidance of God had clouded my spiritual eyesight and weakened my faith.

Time spent drawing near to God is never wasted. We should not say we are weak in faith but dismiss opportunities to draw nearer to God. Whenever we get distracted in prayer, skim-read the Bible, or say we will work on our faith tomorrow, we must remember that the strength to draw near to God comes from Him alone; we cannot rely on ourselves. God calls us to return to Him throughout the Bible:

So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the LORD your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm. (Joel 2:13)

For thus says the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel:
"In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength." (Isa 30:15a)

Thank God for answering the intercessions of my parents and spiritual friends. He opened and cleansed my heart and allowed His word to open my eyes during the YTTC (Ps 19:8b). Through painful self-examination in prayer, I was shown how much I needed God and that nothing can compare to or replace Him. By the end of the YTTC, I stopped worrying about my future and prayed instead for God never to leave my sight and to help me not be negatively influenced by my university friends. Realizing the importance of prayer and Bible reading in keeping me from going astray again, I also determined not to take them for granted. However, after the YTTC ended, I did not immediately act on this.

THE TESTING OF FAITH PRODUCES PATIENCE (JAS 1:3)

I learned the hard way that attending spiritual retreats such as YTTC is only the beginning and that the true test of our faith comes when we return to the real world. As the YTTC drew to a close, I began to worry about life outside of church again.

When I opened my email inbox the day after the course ended, I was shocked to discover that my accommodation for my final year of university had been canceled and that I had missed several emails asking for a final confirmation letter. I panicked immediately. We were in the middle of a student housing crisis,^[1] and with my limited student loan budget, I could only afford university accommodation. I felt as if the rug had been pulled out from under me. I had planned everything well in advance, had booked my accommodation earlier than other students, and had chosen to stay in the same building because I still had friends living there. Why had I not checked my email during the YTTC? I even thought about how this would not have happened if I had not attended the course.

For the next few days, I explored all possible avenues. I refreshed the university's accommodation portal countless times and emailed the staff at Residential Services, thinking I could resolve this issue by utilizing my network. However, no rooms were available and my initial booking was already allocated to someone else. In desperation, I looked into private student accommodation, even though I knew it was unlikely there would be any affordable options. I grew increasingly anxious as there was just over a week left before I was due to return to London, and there was no solution in sight.

Thank God that my parents told me not to worry. They reminded me that since I had lost my initial place because I was attending the YTTC and building up my faith, God would surely provide the best for me. Since there was nothing more I could do except wait on the Lord, I concentrated on praying, reading the Bible, and listening to sermons. By dedicating more time to receiving God's word and praying, the uncertainty of my accommodation quickly stopped weighing on my mind. For the rest of that week, as I continued with spiritual cultivation, I noticed how God's word turned my eyes back to Him and changed the direction of my prayers.

When a preacher's family living more than an hour away from campus offered me their spare room, I wondered at God's sense of humor. If He literally placed me far away from my non-believing friends in central London, this would certainly help me not to be influenced by them! I was no longer worried about where I would live, and I trusted that God would provide what was best for me.

Over the next few days, sermons shared with me online and on the Sabbath reminded me that what we think is important and essential will not necessarily benefit our spiritual lives. They also reminded me that rather than gaining the whole world, we will find eternal life if we seek after God (Mk 8:36; Mt 6:19–21). Furthermore, two sermons based on 2 Samuel chapter 5 reiterated the importance of being watchful after experiencing spiritual success. The Philistines coming up against David right after he became king can represent when we have resolved to return to the way of God and set Him as "King" over our hearts and our sinful nature. Satan will come up against us through a sudden difficulty or obstacle. One speaker shared a sister's baptism testimony: her boss uncharacteristically said she would be dismissed if she did not turn up at work on her baptism day. After reflecting on her priorities, she decided to get baptized. Miraculously, her boss did not comment on her absence when she returned to work the next day, as if nothing had happened. This was my final encouragement to put God first. The next day, I set specific times in the morning and evening to read the Bible and pray.

GOD WILL PROVIDE

That afternoon, exactly one week after YTTC had ended, Residential Services emailed me saying they had found a place for me in one of the university's halls of residence. God's arrangement was perfect: it was within my budget and located within walking distance of our church in central London. It was also in the building that I stayed in during my first year of university. I immediately accepted the offer and thanked God that within only one week of this problem arising, He had helped me rely solely on Him and showed me how much He can do when I come to a deadend.

Finally, when I moved into my accommodation, I was amazed to find it was the same room I had lived in during my first year! How could this space be found at such last minute without God's arrangement? It was even newly refurbished. God knew what I needed and more, and I did not need to worry about anything. Throughout my final year, as my workload increased and I wondered about God's guidance in my life, I looked at my room number and remembered that He had been guiding and providing for me all along. I just needed to seek Him first.  

CONCLUSION

When I tell my non-believing friends how God helped me to get my accommodation, I often feel limited in sharing how God provided what I was physically seeking. Indeed, non-believers worry about their physical lives, but we should not seek after or worry about such things (Mt 6:31–33). Have our worries about life prevented us from drawing nearer to God? Has it been a while since we have felt our prayers truly reach God? When was the last time the word of God touched our heart and moved us to change something in our life? Let us take time to draw near to God and away from the world, whether through a church event, a Sabbath service, fellowship, listening more to His word, or spending time alone with Him. God calls out to us through His word, asking us to seek His face. When we respond by saying, "Your face, LORD, I will seek" (Ps 27:8), He will surely provide above and beyond our expectations.