By Dr Edward Tamale-Sali
Psalms 34:10 (RSV) tells us: “The young lions suffer want and hunger, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.” The Psalter, in Psalms 37:25 (RSV), adds: “I have been young, and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging bread.” These statements are self-explanatory to us the believers.
God has every provision we need, be it material or spiritual. All we need is to seek Him. God is involved in our affairs throughout our living. The Psalter testified of a pattern where he had never seen the righteous of God want or his children go hungry.
In Mathew 6:25-34, our God uses many examples of provisions to encourage and ask us not to be anxious, but seek Him. The key verse in that narrative is Mathew 6:33 (RSV): “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.” Jesus is the Word told us, both in the Old Testament and New
Testament, that as His children we shall always have more than enough. He has promised that if we seek Him, He will help us in every sphere of our lives. It may be financial, marriage, exams, loneliness, etc. Our Lord has promised that all our needs will be met.
King David, who wrote Psalms 34 and 37 as quoted above, had learnt throughout his life that God provided him everything and never lacked anything. As a matter of fact, Psalms 23 (NEV) makes it clearer when King David said: “The Lord is my shepherd and I have everything I need.” Throughout all his life, King David testifies that God will never abandon His children who love Him.
My testimony
In 1964, I failed my primary leaving exams which would have enabled me to attend a government-sponsored secondary school. This was the normal way of getting further education and lat
er to be successful in life as they used to tell us. My brother secured for me an admission at Kako Secondary School in Masaka district. It was a new private school that lacked teachers and many basic things. The founder of this school, Mr Kayongo (a wonderful man), was the only teacher and headmaster at the same time. I and other 29 students were the pioneer students to this school.
I knew this was a disaster in waiting for me. I knew this was not my place. I started crying to God daily to take me out of this place. As I was contemplating, I remembered my mother used to read to me Psalms 23 before I went to bed. When I remembered this, I started reading, especially verse 4.
It appeared as if I was going through a dark tunnel with no light at its end. However, I kept trusting and reading this scripture on a daily basis. I prayed: “God, please take me out of this school and get me into a government school.”
My breakthrough
In the middle of second term, my sister sent a taxi with my uncle (now Professor Lubega) to pick me and go to see the headmaster of Lubiri Secondary School in Kampala. I was called out of the class at about 10:00am. I immediately saw my uncle. I straight away entered the car.
I never even went back to my hostel to pick my mattress which was the only property I had! I never said goodbye to my teacher as he was still teaching. I disappeared! There were no mobile phones then to have called the school. That was it.
When I reached Lubiri Secondary School, I was welcomed by this kind-hearted white Englishman, John Butler. He shook my hand and tapped me on the shoulder and took me into a classroom. This was it. Even up to this day it looks like a dream.
God miraculously intervened. The devil wanted to kill me. But God lifted me up. To cut the long story short, I went to medical school and here I am, testifying… This can only be God. There is a song we usually sing, and here it goes: “When I remember the goodness of the Lord and all He has done for me I lift up my heart and I praise Him…”
Because of Jesus I can rejoice in Psalms 61:3: “to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning that they might be called trees of righteousness that God might be glorified.” Dear child of God, keep trusting Him; Jesus will provide all that you ever need Shalom
