The Lord Will Provide
Genesis 22:7-8 (NIVUK)
Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, ‘Father?’ ‘Yes, my son?’ Abraham replied. ‘The fire and wood are here,’ Isaac said, ‘but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?’ Abraham answered, ‘God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.’ And the two of them went on together....
....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.’
I love Abraham’s confidence in God providing the sacrifice as he and Isaac climbed the mountain. There was no waiting at the foot of the mountain for an animal before setting off, nor were there signs of Abraham’s faith wavering as they reached the top without an animal to sacrifice. There is also no indication of what Abraham was feeling as he thought about sacrificing his longed-for son, or what was racing through Isaac’s mind as he allowed himself to be placed on the altar - before God intervened. What we can see is that Isaac trusted his father, Abraham, and Abraham trusted unswervingly his Heavenly Father.
Jehovah Jireh: The Lord Will Provide. God provided a ram for them to sacrifice instead of Isaac, which points ahead to when would God eliminate animal sacrifice as a form of atonement for sins, providing his only son, Jesus, the Saviour of the world - the ultimate sacrifice.
When we mention God as a provider, we may think of finances. I remember struggling financially and wondering how we would get through the next month. It was super stressful and there was a lot of uncertainty. Imagine my surprise when the next day a cheque from the bank came through the door! I praised God for what I called a ‘Monopoly moment’: ‘Bank error in your favour. Collect £200’. Conversely, there were many other times where we did not have any immediate solutions to financial problems, but over time God worked everything out.
Yet God’s abundant provision extends to much more than our finances. He provides us with love, relationships, forgiveness, peace, strength and so much more. He lavishes us with his grace and the ability to stay the course with him even during the toughest of circumstances. Above all, God has lovingly and generously provided us with himself.
Prayer — Lord, thank you for your provision. Help me to be confident in you providing for all my needs and show me the ways in which I can be used by you to generously bless others.