WAWN: Provider--Jehovah Jireh
When I take a glance back over my life, I can see so clearly the aspect of God we are looking at today: Provider. I am sure that if you took a brief moment, you would see the ways in which God has provided for you. Even if you have gone through great difficulties, God has still provided.
A few of the ways in which I have seen God's hand of provision in my time on earth...
When I was 15, I had been sexually abused and emotionally manipulated for the past year and a half. God provided a way for me to be free from this situation as well as the eventual victory over anxiety + anger + depression.
God has provided me with many sweet friendships for which I am forever grateful.
God has given me a wonderful, loving, kind, caring husband and a humble but perfect home for us to live in.
There are many many more ways in which God has provided, but I won’t bore you with a long list. Especially when there is such good comfort to come later in this post. I urge you to take a moment before you continue reading and think of three major ways God has provided for you. Then, thank Him.
Today, we will dive into one of the most shocking stories of God’s provision. This story is absurd and hardly believable, but I take comfort in the fact that it is without a doubt true. Today, we will learn of Jehovah Jireh, the God who provides.
Our story is found in Genesis 22:1-14. I encourage you to take a moment to read this and take in all of the wonderful details so that you fully grasp the truths.
The star of our story is the friend of God, Abraham. Abraham was promised by God that his descendants would be as the sand and as many as the stars of the night sky. The issue was that Abraham was old, and past the age of fatherhood. While he impatiently waited (and made mistakes, like sleeping with his wife's handmaid so that he would have an heir through her child...that is a story for another day!), God finally blessed him with an heir, a son, named Isaac. This son grew and was loved deeply by his parents, their only biological son together. One day, God came to Abraham and asked him to offer Isaac as a burnt offering.
Pause. God, the Provider of Abraham’s only promised heir...called him to kill his own son?
This one simple request from God, is so out of this world bazaar. We would never imagine anyone asking us to sacrifice our only child...much less God himself asking us to do so. Even if we were asked, we would hesitate, maybe wait a few days for God to change his mind, and still probably not follow through. Our Abraham, the friend of God + full of faith, did not hesitate. He rose early in the morning and began the journey to the land of Moriah. The scriptures tell us this journey was 3 days. An ample amount of time to think and be filled with fear and anxiety. The promised son that was so long awaited, to be killed by his own father? What was the point? Not once did Abraham turn away. He continued to walk and walk until God showed him the mountain. I imagine the entire journey Abraham was silently praying that God would stop this, or at the very least, give Abraham another heir.
I think it is important in our story to remember Isaac. This young man who faithfully followed his father in obedience to God. He did not know what was to come. Nevertheless, when he finally knew, he willingly allowed his father to bind him up and lay him on the altar. I am getting a bit ahead of myself here, but Isaac had the same amount of faith as his father to lay himself down for God. The Bible does not specify Isaac's age, but I imagine him to be young, strong, and able to take down his father if necessary (I don't know, like maybe strong enough to run away from being slaughtered and burned on an altar?). His faith prevailed and he followed willingly.
God revealed the mountain which this father and son would hike. As they hiked, young Isaac realized something was missing.
A lamb for the sacrifice.
Abraham simply said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son”
(Genesis 22:8-emphasis and bold mine)
We see that Abraham continued to trust that God would provide. Finally, they came to a good spot, the spot God had told Abraham. I imagine a clearing near the top of the mountain, with jagged rocks and bushes. They began together to build the altar and gather the wood. Finally, Abraham began binding Isaac, his promised and beloved son.
Our Abraham went to great lengths to follow God in obedience in this difficult task. As I studied, I realized just how difficult this ordeal would have been. Here are some of the steps Abraham went through…
1. A three day journey.
Abraham packed up animals, extra food, water, and men to go along with them on the journey.
2. A long hike up the mountain.
I don't know how high or how far, but I imagine it to be hot and difficult.
3. Collecting stones to build an altar.
There was not yet an altar built here, so they had to find flat stones to stack neatly.
4. Finding and stacking wood for the fire upon the altar.
They have brought this with them, or they may have had to cut some down. Either way, they had to properly arrange it upon the altar.
5. Binding his own son.
Can you imagine tying up your own child and laying him on an altar, knowing it would be your hand to sacrifice him, confused and distraught over why God is asking you to do such a difficult task?
Abraham continued, praying as he went. He never wavered. He bound his own son and laid him upon the altar. He continued. He raised raise the knife, ready to slaughter his son. I am sure the tears streamed down his face, his arms shaking. Isaac probably was filled with deep fear and sadness, pleading for his father to stop. This call, this horrendous command, why would God do such a thing?
Suddenly, from the heavens…
“ABRAHAM! ABRAHAM!”
God finally stopped Abraham, seeing that his faithfulness was unwavering and his fear of God was great. Abraham withheld nothing from his God. As God called to Abraham, a ram appeared behind him, stuck in a bush.
Abraham withheld nothing from his God. God provided all that he needed. Thus Abraham named the place, Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will provide.
“As it is said to this day, on the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” -Genesis 22:14
This story is riveting, insane, wild. It is full of trial and testing. There is so much to glean from this about faith, trials, sacrifice. However, one of the sweetest aspects is God’s provision.
I believe that there are two major lessons to be learned her about Jehovah Jireh, the God who will provide.
God’s Provision is So Beautiful + Abundant
This story is a beautiful example of how God provides for His children. Abraham was just as human as we. He was full of sin and made many mistakes in his life. God still provided. He gave him the promised son though he committed sin with his wife’s handmaid. He provided a ram when He saw Abraham’s abundant faith. When Abraham had faith, God provided. When Abraham lacked faith, God still provided.
This story is also a beautiful picture of God’s greatest provision to humanity: His Son. This was God’s ultimate provision, salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God willingly gave His only Son so that we might have freedom from death and hell. This provision from God was more than we could ever think to ask. It was more that God ought to have given us. Yet, He did it anyway.
We can see that faith brings God’s provision in even bigger handfuls. God will always provide for those who believe in Him. When our faith is strong or wavering He will give us the things that we need. In the deepest of trials, God provides us a Ram. A way of escape, a way to be free, a way to overcome, a way to endure. We must have faith, and we must look to God. He is our only Provider. The only One who can give us those things that we need, both material and spiritual.
God Provides ALL
"What does God provide? He gave a ram to Abraham, but what does God give to me?"
Every Need
“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19
God will supply all our needs, material and spiritual. God’s riches are infinite and when we trust in Him, He will bless and provide out of His abundance. When we trust in His provisions, we must not worry about the future. We must remember that God gave us His Son, and He will continue to give us income, food, family, love, and a home.
Every Good Thing
“The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing”
Psalm 34:10
Our command as believers is to seek God. To look for Him and constantly learn about Him. When we seek, we find, and when we find, God provides. Everything God gives us is good. It always will be, even if we do not always see it.
Light + Protection; Favor + Honor
“For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.”
Psalm 84:11
God gives to us light and protection. He gives us honor and favor. These things we are incapable of acquiring on our own. We may be able to grow food in the soil, but we cannot give ourselves light and favor and honor and protection. There is none but God who can give us safety in danger and light in darkness. When we walk with Him, He does not withhold. He is a giver, not a with-holder. He is a provider, and the only requirement is righteousness. This righteousness is easily achievable when we put our faith in the death and resurrection of Christ.
A Way of Escape
“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
I Corinthians 10:13
We are sinners, weak humans who live in the flesh. There is no doubt we will face temptation and trials. We all have gone through them, and will continue to go through them until the day we enter the gates of Heaven. God provides us with the strength to endure. He provides us a way out of this inevitable temptation always. Whether we go through that open escape door or not, it is always there for us. We do not have to fall into temptation, because God provides.
Fulfillment + Satisfaction
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.”
Psalm 81:10
“For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.”
Psalm 107:9
When we open ourselves up to the God of Heaven, ready and waiting to receive all that He has to offer, He will give it to us. He will not just give us a teaspoon or a drop. No, our God will fill us to the brim with what He knows we need (lets face it, we, like small children, often don't know what is good for us). God provides for us a Spiritual fulfillment through the Holy Spirit. He guides, grows, and nourishes us with spiritual things. God also provides satisfaction for our longing souls. The people of this world are in constant search of satisfaction. If only they had more money, a bigger house, better friends, a cooler job, then they would be satisfied. Only, they do not know that God is the sole Being in the universe who is able to give us the satisfaction we long for. Our souls are aching and craving for something more. That something more is God. He gives Himself to us, He provides Himself to us. These starving souls we have long for God and His goodness, and when we seek and submit to Him, He fills our emptiness with good things.
Today, as you read this, I pray you are touched. I pray that if you are searching, you will see that God provides all that you need. I pray that if you are struggling, you find the way of escape that God has provided. I pray that you stop and see all that He has given to you out of His grace + goodness. I pray that the story of Abraham and Isaac teaches you about God as Jehovah Jireh. I pray that you find fulfillment + satisfaction, light + protection, honor + favor, good things, escape, and everything that you could ever need, right in the face of God.
Below you will find a photo that you may feel free to save and make your home screen (it is already formatted to fit iOS and will fit other phone screens as well). If you click on the photo you will be taken to a .pdf which will allow you to print the photo. I felt that you and I should both have a reminder of our God, Jehovah Jireh, the Provider.
