The Revelation of His Provision

No matter what talents and abilities you may have, no matter what opportunities come your way, no matter what position in this world you may hold, there are adversities.  These trials of life can cause a man to lose hope and turn from the vision that once was so clear in his heart.  In the midst of the worst depression, in the midst of the worst health crisis, in the midst of a broken heart, if you allow Him, the Holy Spirit can awaken your spiritual heart to God’s provision, love, and care through trusting in Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord.  Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)  It is Christ’s desire that His disciples have peace in their spiritual hearts, no matter what troubles and conflicts they may face in this world.  George Morrison once defined peace as, “the possession of adequate resources.”

In a time of great financial trial and faith building for us, the Lord showed His faithful provision in a simple practical way.  In July of 1986 the Lord revealed to me so clearly He wanted my family to know that he cares about every part of our lives.  This revelation came as a stray female yellow colored Labrador puppy wandered into our yard.  The Lord also revealed to me that it was time for our children to enjoy one of His creations.   After returning the puppy to its owner we desired in our hearts to purchase a yellow female Labrador puppy.

In our town was a dog kennel.  They had two chocolate colored Labradors.  The female had just been covered, which meant in three months there would be puppies.For three months, the boys and I prayed to the Lord every night.  We were specific in our prayer request to the Lord.  We needed a family dog, loyal, sweet, dependable, and preferably a yellow female Labrador puppy.  After praying with the boys every night for three months, I would stop at the bottom of the stairs that led to the boys’ bedrooms.  I would ask from my heart for the Lord to answer yes to our prayers, so the boys may know that He cared about every part of our lives.

At the end of the three months, five puppies were born into this world, four chocolate colored males and one yellow colored female.  We continued to pray for six weeks for our special request about this puppy.  After receiving our new puppy and enjoying her for nearly 13 years, we discovered that the Lord answered our prayer, exactly as we had asked for. What a blessing to see Jehovah-jireh meet our request, meeting a special need in our family with His providential care.

To us, Sandy was more than a wonderful pet, she was a constant reminder that the Lord cared about every part of our lives.  When I got laid off of my job, Sandy was right there beside us as we prayed for our financial needs.  When I was going through Berean Bible School, Sandy was right there beside us as we prayed for the time and finances needed.  When Bonnie was diagnosed with Brain Cancer, Sandy was right there beside us as we prayed as a family.  Every time we met together as a family to have special Bible teaching times and family prayer, Sandy was right there beside us.  One time after we had prayed, one of the boys said, “Here is Sandy, right beside us to remind us that God cares about everything in our lives.”

Then came that day, when we had to put our beloved Sandy down because of a serious illness.  On a Saturday morning, we gathered in our back yard to bury Sandy right beside a large group of flowers.  With our hearts broken and in tears, we thanked the Lord as a family in prayer for allowing us to enjoy His provision and for Sandy, a reminder that he cared about everything in our lives.

Even in the death of our beloved pet, the Lord proved Himself Jehovah-jireh in this sin stricken world.  We had lived in our new home for about a year and a half.  On our back porch was a pile of decorative rocks.  I had no use for them and I had intended to haul them off, I just never got to it.

There were just enough rocks to cover the top of Sandy’s grave.  There were just enough nice bricks in that pile of rocks to make a cross over the top of Sandy’s grave.  When we had placed the rocks and bricks over the grave, I reminded the boys how the Bible says the Lord is Jehovah-jireh.  He sees like a prophet and has provided ahead of time to meet our needs.

The home we needed to meet Bonnie’s health crisis sat empty for two years, waiting for us.  The pile of decorative rocks with the bricks we needed to place a cross over the grave of our beloved pet sat there for three and a half years.  The Cross over her grave reminded us of the Christ who died for us, so we as the children of God may enjoy the Lord as Jehovah-jireh, spiritually and practically in this sin cursed world.

Let the Holy Spirit of Christ prepare your heart so your spiritual eyes may be opened to enjoy His provision in times of crisis, so you can live in the realization of His provision. (Genesis 21:14-19)

Revealed Through Testing

There are different situations in life in which a child of God can expect the Lord to prove Himself as Jehovah-jireh.  Before you can receive Holy Spirit illumination of the Lord being your provider, you must be hungry to know the meaning, the significance, and realization of God being Jehovah-jireh.

The first step to enjoying God as Jehovah-jireh is that the believer be willing to be Biblically tested.  The opening Scripture to our teaching about Abraham’s faith says, “Some time later God tested Abraham….” (Genesis 22:1)  God gives different dispensations – ways for mankind to show their love to Him.  Obedience in these dispensations always opens spiritual eyes and hearts to the will of God and often enables the child of God to enjoy Him as Jehovah-jireh, even in practical ways.  Human life stands under a divine testing which climaxes in the judgment of God.  Set under the Lord’s careful watch, Christians come under twofold testing.  One, will the children of God seek Him and Two, will Christians let Him reveal His provision and will to them in the midst of the testing?

The word tested (nasah) in Genesis 22:1 is a verb meaning to test, to try, to prove.  This word appears nearly forty times in the Old testament, often referring to God testing the faith and faithfulness of human beings.  Testing from a New Testament understanding protects Christians from compromise and enables them to grasp God’s will for them.  To be tested as Abraham was tested means to be subjected to a test for qualification.  Let the Holy Spirit place this truth into your minds and illuminate it into your spiritual heart, “strong faith is often exercised with strong trials and put upon in hard service.” (Matthew Henry Commentary)  The Lord does not allow His children to be tested to see if they will fall. (James 1:13) The author of the trial brings on the testing so the children of God may discover His grace, empowerment, and enablement. (1 Peter 1:7)

God allowed Job to be tested by Satan so that he might be seen and known as a man who trusted in the Lord. Abraham’s particular testing time came after he had exercised faith in God through a variety of hardships and many difficulties.   There is a wrong expectation found among the people of God. They think the longer they have served and have proven faithful in the storms of life, the less they will have to endure.  Nothing is further from the truth.  Please note, “Many former trials and testing will not supersede nor secure us from further trials and test.” (Matthew Henry Commentary)

The Lord knows just what dispensation you need to provide you the opportunity to show your love for Him.  The right response in your present dispensation enables you to have a heart that causes you seek the Lord and enjoy his provision and protection in the greatest trials of your life.

What testing is God setting before you?  What are you to lay on the altar so you may enjoy all the Lord as Jehovah-jireh, has in your life.

God Reveals Himself

“Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, ‘On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.’” (Genesis 22:13-14) The King James says, – “And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh as it is to this day, ‘In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.’”

These passages of Scripture are found in one of the most unusual, and at the same time, one of the most exciting accounts in the Word of God.  Just as the Lord revealed Himself to Abraham, He reveals Himself to us through the Spirit, as He brings revelation and illumination of the written Word of God.

I would propose to you that God, our heavenly Father is the God who sees and provides as we walk in obedience to His will in our lives.  The Lord is as much involved in our lives in practical ways on this earth as He is in our spiritual hearts as it pertains to eternity.

There is so much for us to grasp in the Biblical account of Abraham, Isaac and the ram.  However, in this series of Sermonettes, the Holy Spirit of Christ wants you to grasp the truth of God being Jehovah-jireh in practical ways.

The best way to protect yourself from giving up on the Lord is to have Holy Spirit revelation of what God told Abraham before the announcement of His covenant with him.  Catch this powerful truth, “…The Word of the Lord came to [Abraham] in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid, [Abraham], I am your shield, your great reward.” (Genesis 15:1)

At this time in history, the Lord was making a covenant with Abraham.  Despite all that Abraham had done in the power and strength of God, in his mind he was no better off in regard to having an heir from his own flesh and blood.  There was a practical concern that lay on Abraham’s heart and was dear to him.  Abraham wanted an heir for his estate.  God spoke to him and gave Abraham the promise of a son (Genesis 15:2-5)   There is a powerful truth that must be grasped if one is going to enjoy God as Jehovah-jireh like Abraham did.  Genesis 15:6 says, “Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness.”  The Christian’s greatest reward is to have God and Christ, to know and believe God’s Word.  This automatically places you in a covenant relationship with the Lord.

God As Provider

Understanding the meaning of Jehovah-jireh opens the spiritual heart to the significance of God being your provider.  Hebrews 4:14-16 says, “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin.  Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”  Our key text today says, “So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, ‘On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.’” (Genesis 22:14)

When Abraham gave this place a new name, he showed that he realized that this test was more significant than just the testing of His own faith. He had seen the Lord’s provision through his whole life, and now he had witnessed God provide in the most challenging test he had ever gone through.  There is a powerful truth so easily missed in Genesis, “…And to this day it is said.”

The incident of Genesis 22 is a prototype of the promise of Jesus Christ who was to come and be a replacement on the altar of sacrifice for the sins of the world.  This Christ who came in fulfillment of God’s providence, for the redemption of sinful mankind, gives us this daily promise, “So do not worry, saying, `What shall we eat?’ or `What shall we drink?’ or `What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:31-34)

Time after time the Lord has proven His faithfulness to me.  The Holy Spirit brings to my mind the provision of the home we needed to take care of my wife Bonnie, who suffered the effects of brain cancer.  Long before Bonnie was diagnosed with brain cancer, our family went through a time of testing when I was laid off from work.  I often sought the Lord, knowing only He could provide for us.  During this time, I would help my oldest son Derek deliver the Norton Daily Telegram.  We delivered papers to a certain area in Norton, Kansas that had really nice homes.  I would walk through this nice part of town with Derek, praying in my heart that the Lord would provide a nice home for Bonnie in this area.  As I would pray, I would tell the Lord, “If you choose not to answer yes to this prayer, then I am blessed to know that she has a special place being prepared for her in heaven.” (John 14:1-3)

I prayed this on several occasions with complete peace and contentment in how the Lord had already provided for us.  After eight years of battling brain cancer, Bonnie’s health had failed to the point where our old home was no longer safe for her.  The Lord provided us with a beautiful home in that nice area of town where I had walked and prayed.  This home has handicap access that met Bonnie’s specific needs.  We have enjoyed the Lord’s provision throughout the past 24+ years, we have seen the Lord provide cars, computers, literally everything we need for meeting our needs.

Do you live in the significance of the promises of God and Christ?   If so, you live in the powerful truth, “The Lord will see, He will look upon thy need; and will hear thy prayer and provide that need.” (The Pulpit Commentary)

Enjoy Him As Jehovah-jireh

After believing the promises found in God’s Word and choosing to walk in obedience in their present testing, Christians can grasp the meaning of Jehovah-jireh.  The King James Bible says, “And Abraham called the name of the place Jehovah-jireh…” (Genesis 22:14 KJ)  After Abraham was found faithful in the test, he enjoyed God’s provision for the sacrifice to be made on the altar as a replacement for Isaac.       

In order for you to be able to express a life that says, “My Lord is Jehovah-jireh,” it is imperative that you understand the meaning of the name.  In Genesis 22:14 we read of Abraham giving the place a new name in the honor of God, a name for the encouragement of all Christians to the end of all time, a name which would enable them to walk in cheerful obedience to the Lord’s call upon their lives.

The names of God are His self-identification expressing various aspects of Hid being.  In Scripture, the names and person of God are inseparably related.  In the Hebrew language, the term for name (onoma) is derived from a verb that means to know.  Therefore, a name from a Biblical perspective is given to a person or place so others may know how that person or place is to be known.  “Name” in Biblical usage correctly describes the person, place or object and indicates the essential character of that which the name is given.

          Nathan Stone had spent a great deal of hard study regarding the Names of God.  He writes, “There are a number of names compounded with Jehovah.  Naturally these names owe something of their significance to the name Jehovah itself, which reveals the God of revelation, the God of moral and spiritual attributes – of righteousness, holiness, love, and therefore redemption.  The God who stands in special covenant [with the people of God]…  Most of these names of God arise out of some historical incident and portray Jehovah in some aspect of His character as meeting human need.” Jehovah-jire (yireh) is a wonderful revelation of God’s character meaning, “The Lord will provide… to see or to provide or to foresee as a prophet. God always provides, adquate when the time comes.” (Nathan Stone)    “It means ‘the Lord will see to it’ literally… ‘the Lord will provide.’” (Thru the Bible) Often the meaning of this name is expressed in the well known word, “Providence.” “Providence” means to provide. It means the hand of God is in human events. (Thru the Bible)  The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia says providence involves foresight; “Applied to God, providence obviously includes the Divine foreseeing, but God in foreseeing has an even fuller and broader reference in view of the Divine overruling.  Providence, then, is the preservation, superintendence, and teleological direction of all things by God.  It is the Divine governance whereby all possible events are woven into a coherent pattern and all possible developments are shaped to accomplish the divinely instituted goal. Regarding individuals, …the whole sweep of history stands under the providential ordering of God, so the individual life within history… [may be] called to faith, built up in discipleship and service…”

          It is in times of crisis, trials, and testing that the child of God needs to destroy the flesh, recall all that the Lord has done and let the Holy Spirit speak through him the Name, Jehovah-jireh.

Do you have revelation of the meaning of the Lord’s Name, Jehovah-jireh?  The importance of knowing the meaning of this name cannot be overestimated because of the striking evidence found throughout Scripture of God’s faithful provision.

Like Lightning

God’s Power Over Satan

There is a powerful truth spoken by Jesus Christ that should intrigue everyone who is willing to be taught of the Lord.  He makes a statement to the seventy-two that should give all of us the same joy, “…rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:20b)  Prior to this truth is another truth, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”  (Luke 10:18)  Spiros Zodhiates gives us an excellent understanding of “lightning” (ἀστραπή astrapḗ) and it’s usage in this passage of Scripture, “The physical phenomenon of lightning, [as a sign] for the swift completeness of Satan’s overthrow.”  “The point of the comparison is the suddenness and power of the Divine working.” (Kittel, G., Bromiley, G. W., & Friedrich, G. (Eds.). (1964–). Theological dictionary of the New Testament (electronic ed., Vol. 1, p. 505). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.)

It is imperative that you understand, Jesus the Son of God is always revealing truths about Kingdom Authority over everything, including heaven, hell and earth.  No doubt Jesus is remembering the power of God in dealing with Satan at the time of his fall. (Isaiah 14:12)  Symbolically, through lightning, He is expressing the swift power of God in the authority given to the seventy-two as they saw demons submit to them in the Name of Jesus Christ. (Luke 10:17)  The Lord in this teaching is also seeing into the future, the many contest with and victories over evil. (Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Ed.). (1909). St. Luke (Vol. 1, pp. 272–273). London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company.)  Satan’s counterfeit kingdom will face many set backs as the results of the ministries of Jesus’ disciples. (Hughes, R. B., & Laney, J. C. (2001). Tyndale concise Bible commentary (p. 450). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.)  The all knowing Christ is thinking of the time when Satan and all who follow him will march over the earth, surround the camp of the saints and the beloved city [Jerusalem].” (Barclay, W. (Ed.). (1976). The Revelation of John (Vol. 2, p. 194). Philadelphia: The Westminster John Knox Press.) The Bible says, “Fire [comes] down from heaven and [consumes] them.” (Revelations 20:7-10)  This attack on God’s people brings fourth an immediate judgment. (Walvoord, J. F. (1985). Revelation. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 981). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books)  Just as all of nature has no resistance to the swift forceful power of lightning, Satan cannot in any way stand against the powerful forces of God.

It is like, only like the scene in the movie Thor, were Odin comes from Asgard to Jotunheim with a bolt of lightning to confront Laufey.  Odin’s entrance catches the attention of everyone. Laufey is king of the Frost Giants, symbolic to all that is evil.  During their confrontation Odin tries diplomacy, which is rejected by Laufey.  With just a spoken word and a gesture of the hand, Laufey is thrown from the presence of Odin.  In a flash Odin and all under his protection are taken back to Asgard.

The whole of Scripture teaches that Satan, the prince of this world (John 16:11) can not over power the eternal purpose of God.