Are summer needs different from spring or fall needs?
“My kids are home for the summer and all they want to do is eat! Hey guys, food is expensive.”
This was the opening statement made by the emcee of an event I recently attended. Her words had nothing to do with the event and I wondered, “Does this mean she has ongoing worry about summer finances?”
As I pondered the question, I realized each season brings its own set of special needs. If you’re raising kids, the fall requires everyone to adjust to a structured schedule. In the winter, there are demands on our time as we plan for the holidays.
Every change of season demands the provision of something you don’t have.
You may need financial resources, wisdom or understanding. Whatever the case, you need to connect with Jehovah Jireh.
Interestingly, other names of God tell who God is to His people.
Jehovah Shalom – The Lord is peace
Jehovah Rohi – the Lord my shepherd
El – the strong one
Jehovah Jireh’s definition, the Lord will provide is different. It includes a promise of something to come and to see the manifestation of the promise you must INVEST in the promise with FAITH.
Genesis 22 is one of the best-known stories regarding God’s provision.
God and Abraham are involved in a dialogue (a father/son conversation), and in the dialogue God refers to Abraham’s son, Isaac as “your son, your only son, whom you love.” This is the first time love is mentioned in the Bible. Those words let Abraham know God the Father was fully aware of who he was, inside and out.
Immediately after pulling on Abraham’s heartstrings, God asks Abraham for the impossible, “…go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”
If the request wasn’t astounding enough, what happened next challenged me like a Rubik’s cube. Abraham didn’t question or argue with God’s request. With faith in the God that asked the absurd of him, he acted in obedience. He had three long days and nights to travel with the son he loved and respond to God’s order, “sacrifice him there as a burnt offering.”
Two things seem obvious to me. As Jacob traveled,
1. He remained in relationship with God.
2. His relationship kept him acting in faith.
As he moved toward Mount Moriah he waited on God. He put his hope and expectation on the same God that gave him the miracle son when he had lost hope of ever being a father. Abraham kept hope alive on that three-day journey. Everything was placed on the character of Jehovah Jireh.
How do we know what Abraham was thinking about?
As he and Isaac traveled up the mountain, Isaac asked his father, “Where is the lamb for the sacrifice?” Abraham responded, “Jehovah Jireh will provide the lamb for the sacrifice.”
Do you think he could have spoken those words if his mind was consumed by his circumstances?
Those words were spoken by a man who had not forgotten how Jehovah Jireh miraculously provided in the past. He didn’t allow time to rob him of the wonder of Jehovah Jireh. His wonder, hope, and expectation were critical elements of his activated faith.
What do you need from Jehovah Jireh? What does your three day journey look like? Is it an unreasonable wait time for a good doctor’s report? Is it a promotion you should have received long ago? Is it the promise of salvation for a wayward loved one?
Do like Abraham did.
1. Obey Jehovah Jireh, even if His direction is absurd.
2. Remember how Jehovah Jireh has provided for you in the past.
3. Focus on his character, instead of your circumstances.
Ps… You can purchase your own set of Names of God cards! Each set contains 22 cards with 22 of God’s names, the attribute of each name, and Bible verses to see each attribute applied in scripture. Learn more here!