Where God Leads, He Provides

A story is told in the Bible of how the Israelites went to Egypt in search of greener pastures. They then suffered while working for the Egyptians. In their anguish, they cried out to God for deliverance out of Egypt. God heard their moaning and sent His servant Moses to lead them out of Egypt to the land He had promised to their forefathers.

When God led the Israelites out of Egypt with Moses as their leader, He met all their needs as they journeyed through a dry and desolate land. We are told that He dropped from heaven manna and quails for them to feast on. And when they became thirsty, He miraculously let out of rocks some water for them to drink.

That riveting story about the deliverance of Israelites teaches one insight: that where God leads, He provides. I have discovered that God still works in a similar manner to this day. When He wants us to perform a task, He provides us with what we need to carry out that task. And if we find ourselves not getting something we desire, it's because we don't need it. Allow me, my beloved reader, to tell you two experiences I had that have made me understand that insight.

Back in 2011 when I was preparing to run for a political seat in the forthcoming Kenya's general elections, I composed a patriotic Swahili song that I thought would make me famous, thus improving my chances of clinching the seat I would vie for. I envisioned including adults and school children in the video of the song the way I had seen an American rapper do in a song of his that became a hit in the 2000s. The rapper's song was about "I know I can be what I wanna be; if I work hard in it, I'll be where I wanna be".

After I was done with composing my song, I went to the house of Mr. John Kisilu - a high school teacher of mine who operated a music studio in Nairobi - to organize how I could produce the song. Mr. Kisilu agreed to record my song in his studio. And because I was his former student, he offered me a discount. He charged me KSh 10,000 which I thought I would easily raise from my family and friends in a day or two.

But guess what! When I tried to actualize my dream of making my song a hit, I began facing one setback after another. First, the headmaster of Kunoni Educational Centre - a primary school I attended - declined to allow pupils from his school to take part in my song. Then, the adults I requested to get featured in my song failed to turn up on the appointed day. Worst of all, the friends and family members I approached for financial contributions refused to contribute anything.

Although those setbacks disappointed me, I now realize in hindsight that they worked for my own good since I would have ended up wasting a lot of time and energy working on the song that would not have become a hit as I envisioned. I am convinced that God didn't meet my needs because I still had a lot to learn in the art of composing and producing songs that impact lives.

Later on in the decade when I began composing better and more mature songs, God fulfilled my needs this time. Not only did He connect me to affordable music producers, He also availed to me the resources I needed to record my songs. What's more, He provided me with this beautiful blog where I share my songs with the world since most TV and radio stations here in Kenya don't air songs of my type.

The other experience which has made me understand that God does meet our needs where He leads came about when I was launching this blog in early 2016. Back then, I was burning with an ambition of creating a blog of international appeal. Fuelled by that ambition, I went and successfully registered this blog with the Kenya Copyright Board.

While at the Kenya Copyright Board offices, someone informed me that I could have my blog protected as an intellectual property with another government organization whose name I have forgotten. I immediately went to the organisation's headquarters where I was charged KSh 12,000 for recording my blog in their database. And yikes, what a struggle it was to raise that amount!

With hindsight, I now realize that it wasn't necessary to record my blog in that organisation's database. (Oh, hindsight is such a wonderful thing!) God must have known so; that's why He didn't avail to me the money that the organisation was demanding from me. What He provided were the funds I required to launch this blog and to register it with the Kenya Copyright Board.

My beloved reader, God still does meet the needs of His people as He did to the Israelites when He led them out of Egypt those many many years ago. If we therefore find ourselves lacking something, it's because we don't need it at the moment. Our duty is to walk uprightly while seeking His blessings and guidance in all that we do. Really and truly, where God leads, He provides. Adieu!

*******************
RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed the above story, you might also enjoy another one on "People Need the Lord".