Names of God (Old Testament)Sample

Jehovah-Jireh: The Lord shall provide

Every time I read the story of God asking Abraham to offer Isaac, his son, as a sacrifice, I cannot help but think, ‘I’m glad it was Abraham and not me.’ It seems an absolutely unthinkable request!

Yet, as I read the rest of the story, I’m so encouraged and challenged to see how Abraham responds with faith that God will provide what is needed to honour Him in this excruciating moment. And He does.

This is when we hear the name of God – ‘Jehovah-Jireh’ – used to remember the miracle of God’s good provision. Abraham’s faith in God’s provision was not mislaid. Abraham’s faith that God was not asking for the most devastating thing of Him without a way out was not without basis. God did give Him what he needed to make the sacrifice God asked for – without needing to kill his own child. It’s worth noting that Jehovah-Jireh does not mean ‘God did provide,’ but ‘God WILL provide.’ God’s name is not a proclamation of a past act but a continuing one.

We know this in our own lives, too, don’t we? In moments when we’re not sure how the budget stretched that far, how we juggled all the demands on our energy, or how we’ll get through whatever challenge is in our path, God continues to provide what we need to love Him and our neighbours in that moment.

What area of your life do you need to remember that God WILL provide … that it’s part of His very nature because He loves you and cares for you?

Written by KATIE SMITH