JEHOVAH JIREH----THE LORD OUR PROVIDER

JEHOVAH JIREH---THE LORD OUR PROVIDER

   I have a great niece who has gone back to school but she is terrified about it.  She works hard and has made good grades and that should be a confidence builder.  It doesn't matter how much you study, when it is time to be tested, anxiety rears it's ugly head.  Life is similar to that.   We all have our trials and troubles.  Keep these two things in mind when the skies turn dark:  1) God is in control of how much trouble touches us, 2) tests are His way of identifying where we are spiritually and to prepare us for our next assignment from Him.  Cue the mission impossible theme music.

   Therefore, know that God is our Provider.  If He gives us a mission, He will provide the tools for us to accomplish it.

   I guess the most famous example of this is in the Book of Genesis, where God commands Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac, as a burnt offering.  Let's read the story in chapter 22, beginning with verse 1:

1) And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham:  and he said, Behold, here I am.

2) And He said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

3) And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

4) Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

5) And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.

6) And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.

7) And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father:  and he said, Here am I, my son.  And he said, Behold the fire and the wood:  but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?

8) And Abraham said, My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering:  so they went both of them together.

9) And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.

10) And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

11) And the angel of the LORD (Jehovah) called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham:  and he said, Here am I.

12) And He said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him:  for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from Me.

13) And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

clip art courtesy of freeBibleimages.org

14) And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh:  as it is said to this day, in the mount of the LORD (Jehovah) it shall be seen.  King James Version (KJV) Public Domain

    Abraham "laid the wood" for the burnt offering "upon Isaac his son"  My God laid His only begotten Son, Whom He loved upon a cross on Calvary to provide life for you and me, a life with Him now and for all eternity. Click here to learn more about that:  https://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/p/path-to-salvation.html.

   Look at verse 12.  God already knew what Abraham would do.  To understand this verse, consider following a football or baseball game but only having access to the written version in real time.  You know the players, what they are doing, etc. but this is "knowledge", if you will.  If you were at the game, cheering on your favorite team, you "experience" the game.  That is what this verse is describing.  God knew what Abraham would do, but He experienced it in real time!  You can read further in Genesis 22 to discover the blessings Abraham received from it.

   In verse 13, Abraham took his eyes off of his situation and saw what God had provided.  How often do we focus on our circumstances rather than seeking God in it?  Watch out, because I might break out in praising Him for all the things He has brought me through!


If this ministry is a blessing to you, please pray that  God blesses our efforts in spreading The Gospel.  You are also encouraged to share this post on your favorite social media and leave us a comment on this site and tell us how we are doing or share your story of how God provided for you when you didn't see a way.  Thank you

PSALM 32

PSALM 32--NIV

1) Blessed is the one
    whose transgressions are forgiven,
    whose sins are covered.

2) Blessed is the one
    whose sin the Lord does not count against them
    and in whose spirit is no deceit.

3) When I kept silent,
    my bones wasted away
    through my groaning all day long.

4) For day and night
      Your hand was heavy on me;
    my strength was sapped
      as in the heat of summer.

5) Then I acknowledged my sin to You
       and did not cover up my iniquity.
     I said, "I will confess
       my transgressions to the Lord."
     And You forgave
       the guilt of my sin.

6) Therefore let all the faithful pray 🙏to You
       while You may be found;
     surely the rising of the mighty waters
       will not reach them.

7) You are my hiding place;
     You will protect me from trouble
     and surround me with songs of deliverance.

8) I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
     I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

9) Do not be like the horse or the mule,
       which have no understanding
     but must be controlled by bit and bridle
       or they will not come to you.

10) Many are the woes of the wicked,
     but the Lord's unfailing love
     surrounds the one who trusts in Him.

11) Rejoice in the Lord and be glad 😊, you righteous;
     sing, all you who are upright in heart!

New International Version (NIV)

COMMENTARY

Verse 1)  It is a blessing to be forgiven for our sin/transgression/iniquity.  Here, the blessing is plural.  We receive double joys, bundles of happiness, and mountains of delight!  Our sins are removed from us forever!

Verse 2)  We are blessed that The Lord can never see our sin when it is covered by the blood of Jesus.  Our conscience, then, is clear.  Let me say this again:  no matter what sin we have committed, it is as though it NEVER happened!  When we confess our sin to our Heavenly Father, and repent in our hearts, E V E R Y  sin, large and small, disappears from existence and the blood of Jesus is in it's place--------F O R E V  E R!

Verses 3) When we know we sin and we try to hide it or run away from it,  We lie about it and deny it.  It destroys our peace.  We tend to have our sleep and our appetite disturbed.  It is like a huge festering wound inside us, growing in infection, destroying our health.

Verse 4) We place our trust, our lives into God's loving, all powerful hands.  He is able to conquer all evil for us.  Here, though, His hand is pressing down on us.  

Verse 5) God does not make things complicated:  confess (especially when He has convicted you) and turn from your wicked ways and He is faithful and just to forgive you.  He does not pick and choose whom He will forgive.  He gave His only begotten son that who-so-ever believes on Him will not perish, but have everlasting life.  Whosoever will call upon the Name of The Lord will be saved.  Whosoever will, let him come and take the water of life freely.  This is only hard for us in the sense that these days, no one accepts RESPONSIBILITY for his own actions!  

Verse 6) God is faithful to hear our prayers before we die.  When we die, there is no more time for repentance.  The hour of grace is between the sin and the sentence.  Now is a great time to accept the indescribable gift of salvation.  Click here for more information:    https://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/p/path-to-salvation.html.

Verse 7) When we confess our sin and repent, God goes from being our Judge to being our Refuge!

Verse 8, 9) The Speaker is now God.  The King James Version says, "I will guide thee with Mine eye."  My children can surely relate to this one because they read my "looks".  When they need to change their direction, I can give them "the look" and they know to settle down.  God does not want to put a bit in our mouth to counsel us, but just give us "the look".  I think I would faint if His hand was heavy on me.

Verse 10) The Unbeliever has many woes:  sorrow, shame, regret, disappointment, terror, despair, remorse, etc.  The Believer has grace and mercy ALL THE DAYS OF OUR LIVES, and forever!  Amen?

Verse 11) We are commanded here to rejoice!  Shout our joy!  Fall over backward giggling!  We are not to grumble in our daily lives, but we are to sing and laugh.  The Lord of Creation has pardoned our sins and is instructing us in our walk with Him.  He is our Jehovah (God with us).

Let us share The Gospel while there is still time so our friends and family and even those who we don't know can receive the blessings that we have discovered.  If this ministry is a blessing to you, please pray that God uses this ministry to spread The Good News.  Please also share this post on your favorite social media.

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