12th Oct 2012, by Adeline Lum –
Would you accept God’s love?
Young David accepted the Lord when he was 17 years old and wandered from his faith for 20 years before accepting and knowing God’s love. “If you know God, you will never blame Him and He will not blame you,” said David. In his forties now, David knows who God truly is. God is love (1 John 4:8).
I don’t need God now
At 26 years old, David Yap was a young, talented and promising Art Director working at one of the best advertising agencies. A hard worker, David once worked for 48-hours without sleep. His hard work paid off, as he cashed in a handsome five-digit salary (20 years ago) during his career. To top it off, this young man also fell in love and married a beautiful woman. Indeed, David was riding the wave of worldly success. However, David also increasingly had no time for God. And his relationship with God slowly died.
“God was not real to me. I depended on myself for everything,” David said.
What hurt me more is my heart
More than ten years later, life for David went rock bottom-his wife wanted to separate, his business failed, his house loan and renovation plan got him in debt, and he got into two car accidents.
In the second freak accident, David’s head was caught under a car, and he was dragged against the road, slashing his body, face and scalp. His frantic three-year old son who was very close to David quickly knelt down to see if his daddy was okay. But David’s pain was too great for him to comfort his son. When the car was rolled away, David stood up in pain and stretched his hands to give his son an assuring hug.
“Suddenly, I saw fear in my boy’s eyes which I never seen before,” David said.
His son froze in terror, and burst into tears. He then turned his back and ran away. David’s heart was crushed. His son was afraid to see his daddy’s face.
“At that time, I thought about Jesus, how He felt when God turned away from Him at the cross. Nothing hurt me more than watching my little boy run away from me. Neither my wounds nor my disfigured jaw could hurt me more that my heart,” said David.
If God would grant you anything, what would you ask for?
David was sent to the hospital. And God brought something good out of the bad.
“My wife visited me in the hospital and she was willing to give our marriage a second chance,” David smiled. They had been separated for six months.
His wounds healed in two weeks, recovering faster than the doctor expected. Sitting on the bench in the hospital, David prayed to God with his pastor. Although he just picked up his life from a newly patched marriage and recovering from the accident, his life was still in shambles. Breaking down, he confessed to his pastor.
“I have failed as a father, a husband, a businessman, and a man of God,” David said.
They prayed together where both felt God’s presence strongly. David’s pastor told him that God would grant him anything he wanted.
“For ten years, I have prayed to God after failure upon failure, but God never answered me,” recalled David, “But I knew at that time, the only thing I wanted was to know Him, so that I can discern His voice,” said David.
His prayer reminded him of young King Solomon’s prayer who prayed for wisdom to rule God’s people.
“Could I, a sinful man, deserve a second-chance from the Lord, after twenty years of not serving the Lord?” asked David.
The Lord redeems!
God redeemed David slowly but surely. A week after the accident, David’s wife accepted Christ. David was able to pay off his debts and the house’s loan with his work at his privately owned advertising firm. Fast forward five years since the car accident, at age 40, David felt called by God to spend more time in ministry as he was losing passion in his advertising work. During those years, he also became the president of Full Gospel Businessmen (FGB) fellowship held at Atria Shopping Mall. God brought a great harvest, with 100 to 200 attendees every meeting.
“Shop owners and passer-bys would get saved!” exclaimed David.
After he closed his advertizing firm, he got a job from a friend who felt a calling by God to hire him in a food company. Now, he earns a salary and also has more time for the ministry.
“Only through God, your gifts can be used fully without the selfishness of the heart. I let go everything to God,” said David. David’s gifts in preaching and teaching, was effortless to him akin to what Jesus said in Matthew 11:29, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
When asked if he resented God for his hard times, David said, “No, if you know God, you will never blame Him and He will not blame you. Only the devil would speak lies of condemnation to your ears. The spiritual world is real. But know that they cannot make you do things because we have free will. We can disarm the devil through prayer,” said David.
I am richer than King Solomon
Now, David Yap, in his forties, is a humbled man after God’s heart, accepting and enjoying the full measure of God’s love.
“Solomon asked for discernment for right and wrong, so that he can rule God’s people wisely. But even when Solomon tried and had everything, in the end, his life was meaningless to him,” said David before continuing, “Without God, even wisdom is meaningless. Life is nothing without God even if you have everything. But if you asked for God, you gain everything. You and I are much richer than King Solomon,” said David.
Enjoying a close relationship with the Lord, David said, “He understand you even more than you understand yourself. He loves you even more than you can love yourself. He knows what you need, even before you asked. He is just waiting to give to you.”
A living testimony, I wonder how many “David’s” are out there, waiting to take that step of faith to trust in God.
God’s love is real and He loves you.
