Strategizing for Success: Navigating the Job Application Process
Learning the need to customize the resumes per job with the bots that are looking for ways to disqualify applications in the system since there are so applicants. Working with friends who are colleagues from the past to ensure every application comes through a referral. Is there something else or extra that will be the tipping point to make it be what it takes?
Embracing God’s Timing: Trusting in His Perfect Plan
Could it be that the process just takes time? Might it be that God is working things out and the right job hadn’t been in play yet with all the applications so far? Having never taken any extended time off between jobs in the past, might God be giving me time to refresh and refuel so that when the right job comes up I won’t have to wait but rather will be able to start as soon as they are ready?
Finding Direction: Trusting God to Lead the Way
Back in March when I had the aha moment that 100% working from home (WFH) was working for me and gave my concerns up to God, He responded to my prayers with Genesis 31 where He tells Jacob to get out and go back. He taught me the months of challenge were enough and the time to get out was coming soon. Looking into where “go back” meant and discovering where one company was and had no opening and where the other was and discovering after a decade there were nearly 300 people, I knew still there to be referrals, God confirmed the right company, but I am still to discover where within the company I am to go. And so, I ask, seek, and knock trusting God’s plan, purpose, and timing because He will answer, He will help me find it, and He will open up the right door for me to walk through.
Today’s Reading:
My Notes:
God’s Word is active and alive and the Bible.com site and Bible App allow for us to not only read but have it read to us so we can hear what God has to say while following along. God’s Word is sharper than a double-edged sword and able to cut to the core of any situation, so we need to take our situation, our circumstances, whatever it is we are facing or going through and giving it up to God. We can’t allow our own self-talk or the devil’s attacks impact us but rather we need to take every thought captive and make them submit to Jesus. So today instead of just reading my notes, use the links above to hear what God has to say to you and take your own or make your own notes because God is ready and willing to be teaching, rebuking, correction, and training to ensure you are thoroughly equipped.
1 Samuel 7
God’s Victory and Our Preparation
We see the Israelites returning to the Lord under the leadership of Samuel. They put away foreign gods and served the Lord only (1 Samuel 7:3-4). The key takeaway here is that God requires our wholehearted devotion and repentance before He grants us victory. When the Philistines attacked, God responded to Samuel’s intercession and Israel’s faithfulness by throwing the Philistines into confusion, resulting in a great victory for Israel (1 Samuel 7:10-12).
Application:
Just as the Israelites had to repent and focus on God, so must we. In the context of job searching, this means prioritizing prayer, seeking God’s guidance, and ensuring our lives reflect our commitment to Him. By doing so, we align ourselves with God’s will and prepare our hearts for the opportunities He will provide. Trust that as you refine your resume and network with colleagues, God is also preparing the perfect job for you.
- Samuel Subdues the Philistines at Mizpah
- ‘So Samuel said to all the Israelites, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.’
— 1 Samuel 7:3-4 - ‘While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites. The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Kar. Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”’
— 1 Samuel 7:10-12
- ‘So Samuel said to all the Israelites, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.’
1 Samuel 8
Seeking God’s Will Over Human Plans
1 Samuel 8 narrates Israel’s demand for a king, desiring to be like other nations (1 Samuel 8:5). Despite Samuel’s warning about the consequences of having a king (1 Samuel 8:11-18), the people insisted. God allowed their request but highlighted that their desire was a rejection of His kingship over them (1 Samuel 8:7).
Application:
This chapter teaches us to seek God’s will rather than conform to societal pressures or our own desires. In your job search, resist the temptation to force opportunities that may not align with God’s plan for you. Instead, seek His guidance through prayer and trust that He knows the perfect timing and placement for you. Remember that God’s ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9),
'“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.'
-- Isaiah 55:8-9
and His plans for you are for good (Jeremiah 29:11).
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
-- Jeremiah 29:11
- Israel Asks for a King
- ‘They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.”’
— 1 Samuel 8:5 - ‘And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.’
— 1 Samuel 8:7 - ‘He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”’
— 1 Samuel 8:11-18
- ‘They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.”’
1 Samuel 9
God’s Provision and Perfect Timing
We read about Saul’s journey to find his father’s lost donkeys, which leads him to Samuel. Unbeknownst to Saul, God had already revealed to Samuel that Saul was to be the chosen king (1 Samuel 9:15-17). This divine appointment illustrates God’s sovereignty and perfect timing in orchestrating events for His purposes.
Application:
Just as Saul’s mundane task led to a divine appointment, trust that your efforts in job applications and networking are not in vain. God is working behind the scenes, aligning circumstances to place you in the right position at the right time. Stay diligent and faithful in your job search, knowing that God’s provision often comes in unexpected ways. Use this waiting period to grow in faith, develop new skills, and deepen your relationship with God.
- Samuel Anoints Saul
- ‘Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed this to Samuel: “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people Israel; he will deliver them from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked on my people, for their cry has reached me.” When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the Lord said to him, “This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people.”’
— 1 Samuel 9:15-17
- ‘Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed this to Samuel: “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people Israel; he will deliver them from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked on my people, for their cry has reached me.” When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the Lord said to him, “This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people.”’
Encouragement
In your journey of job searching, it can be challenging to remain patient and trust in God’s timing. However, remember that God is faithful and His plans are perfect. Continue to customize your resume and leverage your network, but more importantly, seek God’s guidance through prayer and scripture. As Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
Believe that God is using this time to prepare you for the right job, where you can thrive and serve His purposes. Embrace this season as a time of growth, refreshment, and preparation. Keep asking, seeking, and knocking (Matthew 7:7-8), confident that God will open the right door for you. His timing is perfect, and He will lead you to the job that aligns with His plans for your life.
Today is a day that thanks to Jesus is filled with inspiration. So let us make sure we receive the gift of grace through Jesus by faith in Him and step up and out to accomplish all the good works He has prepared in advance for us to accomplish. If you haven’t received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, why not choose today to be the day your life is transformed and you become a new creation and start the journey of becoming everything God created, purposed, and planned for you to be?
Let’s pray:
God's story through my life from 2005 to eternity... 