I can only imagine how the Jaredites felt after 343 days on the open sea. Yes, they were just one day away from arriving at a promised land, which was choice above all others, but after 343 days of seeing only water in every direction, I’m sure they started to have doubts:

Are we any closer than when we started? Have we been going in circles?

What the Jaredites may not have realized was that even when they could see no change in their circumstances, God was always moving them forward:

And it came to pass that the Lord caused that there should be a furious wind… [and] the wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land while they were upon the waters. (Ether 6:5-8)

During my recent job hunt, I felt a bit like the Jaredites. Despite spending as many as 20 hours each week submitting hundreds of resumes, reaching out to my network, and gleaning professional certifications, after six months, I could see no progress.

But the wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land.

Finally, I tried a new tactic: instead of continuing to obsessively panic about becoming the ultimate applicant, I would take God at His word and trust Him to provide the right job in His own time. So I committed each day to only spend time on career-searching after I had first spent at least as much time focused on the Lord.

But after a few more months with this strategy, I could still see no progress. And although God provided a part-time job that covered my bills, even this felt like a step backwards.

But the wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land.

Then I started noticing a strange trend: The more I replaced my job-hunting time with seeking the Lord, the more peace He gave me about the outcome. So while I still wanted a full-time job, I eventually found myself spending just a few hours each week looking for work.

And the wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land.

Finally, one day I got a phone call related to a great position that I knew was a long-shot: “Hi Jared, there were several candidates for this role who had more relevant experience and higher education than you, but there’s just something I like about you, and I think you have potential to learn, so I’m offering you the position.”

As I told a few friends and family members about the hiring manager’s words, four people independently stated that the “something about me” he was attracted to was the gift of the Holy Spirit. And I later found out that he based my “potential to learn” off of some specific tasks I completed at the part-time job I had grudgingly accepted a few months prior.

So ultimately, it wasn’t an impressive resume or a meticulously manicured LinkedIn profile that landed me this job. It was God’s Spirit working with me and my circumstances that brought forth a far better outcome than I had even imagined (and that’s not even mentioning the other two full-time offers I received that same week). Certainly the wind of God had been blowing towards the promised land all along, even when I could see no progress!

But don’t be mistaken; this dream job is not the promised land. Rather, God used this time of waiting to remind me how blessed it is to seek Him first above all else, and He proved once again that when I do, He provides beyond my wildest expectations. So while I am thankful for this new role, I am even more thankful that through it all the Lord was blowing my soul a little closer to His kingdom, a promised land which is truly choice above all others.

This article has undergone ministry review and approval.