Getting to Know God: Jehovah Jireh
And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen. - Genesis 22:14
Jehovah Jireh is loosely translated "the Lord will provide", but the most literal translation is "the Lord who will see to and who sees before". In essence, the name tells us that not only does the Lord provide, but oftentimes He provides for us before we even realize we have a need.
In the story in Genesis where Abraham is commanded to sacrifice his son, Isaac, we see that God already had a provision awaiting Abraham on the mount. When the prophet Elijah was fleeing for his life, God commanded him, on two separate occasions, to go to a place where provision had already been made for Elijah's safekeeping. Time and time again throughout the pages of the Bible, we see where God provides for His people.
I have to admit that Jehovah Jireh is one of my favorite names for the Lord because it is the one that I think I cling to the most. Living on a limited income can provide ample opportunity for worry and stress, yet the Lord always comes through for us, most of the time in ways that I would have never even imagine. For example, I recently sold a few items on eBay. These were items that I no longer needed and decided that any money I could get for them would be worth the time and effort to put them up for sale. One of the items I was selling was a pair of dog boots that we had bought for Mitchell after his injury a couple of summers back. Because his paw never healed properly, he was not able to wear the boots, so they've been in storage all this time. I started the bidding for the boots at $.99 and offered them at a "Buy It Now" price of $14.99. Within a day, the bidding had gone up past the "Buy It Now" price, and by the end of the auction, the boots sold for $51. Jehovah Jireh had come through again!
I can't tell you the comfort I find in knowing that not only does God see and know my every need, but He also provides in ways I will never understand. Somehow, someway, He always meets the need. For years, I've tried to budget our finances, but I'm always dismayed to discover that things never work out on paper. According to our budget, we shouldn't have enough money to eat, but we've never missed a meal yet. God has always seen to it that our needs are met. His provision may not have been in the time frame that we hoped for or may not have presented itself in the way we expected, but the provision was there nonetheless.
From the very beginning of time, God saw our needs and provided the solutions. He saw that we would sin and be in need of a Savior, so He sent His only begotten Son to pay the awful price for our wrongdoing. He knew that we would need a daily source of comfort, so He sent the Holy Spirit to live within our hearts. He knew that we would need guidance and direction, so He sent us His holy Word. Day after day, He provides for our every need and often our wants as well. Despite our unworthiness, He takes care of us, allowing His provision to illustrate His great love for us.
What do you need today? Is the bank account empty…again? Do you lack the strength to face another day? Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? Whatever you're facing, whatever you need, take it to Jehovah Jireh. He will provide. Trust me, He's good at that!