If you follow my writings at all, you may know that the Lord has been speaking to me about the power that is available to us as Christians. I believe God is speaking to many about this. Matter of fact, a friend recently spoke about it in his message to our church. It was his sermon that prompted me to write more on this topic. The Lord challenged our friend with the question, “Who do you need me to be in your life right now?” He began to study on the names of God and the power in each of those names.
In my last article, I shared on Jehavah-Rohi, The Lord My Shepherd.
Today, I would like to talk about “Jehovah-Jireh, The Lord Shall Provide.” You can read more about “The Names of God and Why They Matter” at: https://www.davidjeremiah.org/knowgod/the-names-of-god. (Excepts of this article were retrieved from this site.)
Jehovah-Jireh: The Lord Shall Provide God’s provision is shown time after time in His word. However, a very powerful and impacting demonstration of this was in Genesis, when God told Abraham to offer his son Isaac on the altar as a sacrifice. For those who’ve read the story, you know that God stopped Abraham in the nick of time, providing a ram in thicket in Isaac’s place. The Lord spoke to Abraham and said, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” (Genesis 22:13-14)
In Hebrew, “The-Lord-Will-Provide” is Jehovah-Jireh.
As I’ve shared in previous stories, when my husband and I first married we moved to Missouri for my husband to attend ministry school. Neither of us could secure employment for quite awhile and we had no savings to pull from. We had no option but to call upon Jehovah-Jireh on a daily basis.
I will never forget sitting in the living room of our apartment waiting for the mail to drop through the slot. God would lay it upon the hearts of His people and checks or even cash would come miraculously in the mail. It would be enough to pay that month’s rent, the electric bill or provide a meal for our table.
I start to tear up just recalling the memories. On our own, we had nothing. We were dependent on God for our every need. I would go to the grocery store with a $20.00 bill and a piece of paper to tally up costs as I shopped. I would literally cry out to God to help that $20.00 go as far as possible and He always did.
God didn’t just supply our needs through the gifts in the mail, but through the love and giving of those around us. God miraculously connected us with another couple from the school who had us over to dinner or lunch on many occasions. He provided babysitting jobs for me or opportunities for Ed to fix someone’s car that brought in a few dollars.
When God did bring about a job for Ed, it was in the school cafeteria. As I’ve shared prior, the only food Ed was allowed to bring home from work was steak and shrimp. We felt like the children of Israel complaining in the wilderness, “Oh God, we are tired of steak and shrimp, if we could just have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich!” I’m kidding, but you get the point.
We were desperate and we had nothing to fall back on except God. Those were difficult times, but looking back, I wouldn’t trade them for the world because it was in those times that we learned a deeper level of who God was as our Jehovah-Jireh. There is a passion in my heart to come along side others and believe, because I’ve seen it happen!
This revelation has carried us through when times get tough and still challenges us to grow even more in these changing times.
If you find yourself in that place of needing to see God’s provision today, call out to Him as your “Jehovah-Jireh.” Stand firm and ask others to pray and believe along side of you. God never called us to do things alone.
I often think of the story of Moses where God brought Aaron and Hur alongside of him to hold up his arms. God had instructed Moses to lift his arms and as he held them up, the Israelites were wining the battle. However, Moses’s arms soon grew weary, but Aaron and Hur found Moses a rock to sit on and they held his arms up for the duration of the battle.
Wow, we all need more Aaron’s and Hur’s in our lives! …and not only that, we need to be Aaron and Hur for those who need us.
“Heavenly Father, we thank you that you are Jehovah-Jireh, our provider. Not only do you meet our physical needs, but you supply our spiritual needs as well. I pray that you will touch all who read this today and meet them where they are at. Your word says that You own the cattle on a thousand hills, there are some people out there that need a big fat cow. They have needs that only you can meet. I join my faith with theirs right now and I ask you for a miracle. In the mighty name of our Jehovah-Jireh we declare your provision over them and their households. In Jesus name, amen.”
Be Encouraged,
Jean
The picture shared with this article was taken by Cindy Smith, author and gifted photographer of “Traveling with Jesus.” Cindy’s passion is to combine God’s Word and His creation to encourage others. You can see more of Cindy’s beautiful photos on FB at “Traveling with Jesus.” https://www.facebook.com/TravelingWithJesus