Jehovah Jireh: The God Who Provides

“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 (NIV)

My emotions were once again fighting to be let out of the boxes I so carefully kept them in. The longing to see and be with family was raging strong, but I was stronger. I slammed the lid on that box, pretending to be unaware that the emotions were still on the brink of escape. All it took was one simple question for that lid to fly off and for the feelings to flood my consciousness.

One simple question of “how can we pray for you?” A question that prompts honesty and vulnerability. The floodgates were open and the emotions seeped out of their box. I confessed to a few close friends my longing to return home and the fear of not financially being able. I cried. We prayed. And my emotions returned to their carefully kept place.

As the weeks passed, a numbness began to set in. I was discouraged from trying to get the documents to return home. Prices for flights were not decreasing. I was disheartened and my belief in God’s provision was wavering.

Then the unexpected happened.

I find myself seated and reading the words, “Happy Birthday!!! You get a free round trip ticket to the U.S.A.” I was bewildered. Why? What? How? Surely this is some sort of cruel joke. It’s not even my birthday yet. This can’t truly be for me.

The initial shock led to the numbness starting to thaw. The tears began to fall as I heard the story of love, friendship, and community.

See, one of the girls I opened myself up to decided to respond. She took the initiative to ask my friends to help try and cover half of my ticket home. As she asked around and word spread, God provided more than any of us had faith to ask for. An amazing woman of God who I have the privilege to serve with at the center I volunteer at offered to cover the entirety of the ticket with airline points in her account.

I was overwhelmed. Like many other Christians, I said that I believed that God could and would provide. After all it is a promise found in scripture (1). I could even give personal examples throughout my life of how God provided for me. However, till this point I had not had a face-to-face encounter with Jehovah Jireh (2). God providing in such an unexpected way caused me to encounter a new side of His character, nature, and love.

As I have processed this amazing act of love there are three blessings that stand out to me. The first, naturally, is the ability to go home and see my family. My family is an important part of my life and not physically being with them for a year has brought unexpected emotional challenges. I am overjoyed at the chance to spend more quality time with them.

Credit: Photos by Ciera Thomas

Credit: Photos by Ciera Thomas

The second blessing is the love of community. There are two sides to this coin. Although I knew God could provide, I honestly lacked the faith that me going home was an important enough thing to ask God for. I had a hard time believing that God would provide a way. However, my friends had faith God would provide. I am reminded of Mark 2:2-11 where Jesus healed the paralyzed man who was brought by his friends (3). Jesus healed, not because of the faith of the man, but because of his friends. In this situation, I believe my friends had more faith than I did, allowing God to provide in such an unexpected way. The other side of the blessing in the love of community I felt has to do with my past. Through much of my life I have struggled with the sense of belonging and feeling accepted among my peers. Often this expressed itself with doubts on whether people truly cared for me or were just around me for convenience sake. I have slowly come to a place where these thoughts do not plague me like they once did and I recognize more and more that my value comes from the Father, not man. With so many people willing to surround me with love and support, I feel I have finally entered into a new season of fully understanding and accepting the community of the body of Christ. The love I felt through the gift of going home is unlike any other love I have felt within the body of Christ. I am abundantly grateful for the community God has placed me in for this season of life.

The third blessing however is the greatest of them all: the love of the Father. As I mentioned previously, I struggled to have faith in believing in a way home. However, it was more than that. For several months I felt like I was distant from God. I was going through the motions. My quiet time with God was inconsistent at best. I was struggling spiritually. Partly because of being so busy but also because I felt like I had misheard Him on somethings and as a result had distanced myself. Which is part of why the gift home was so surprising. I felt undeserving because my faithfulness to God seemed to me to be wavering.

I have been reminded of a few verses. One, Ephesians 2:8-9 states, “...it’s not your own doing, but it is the gift of God…”(4). No matter what we do, our works will never be deserving of God’s love, that is why it is a gift. We are undeserving of God’s perfect love and provision but He gives it anyways. Another verse I am reminded of is 2 Corinthians 2:9. The verse states, “...My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses...” (5). Our weak moments create a space for God to work that we might testify to His goodness. I did not have the means to accomplish everything, and in my moment of weakness God said, “Here am I! Trust me with your finances, with your relationships, and with your emotions.” He did this not for my own deservingness but because He is good. So how could I not tell the world of His love.

I tell you all this to encourage you. No matter how you are feeling or how undeserving you are feeling, God is still good. He is the God of provision. He provided a lamb for Abraham so He wouldn’t have to sacrifice His son (6). He provided a way home for me. And He will provide for your needs no matter how big or small they may seem to you.

Endnotes:

1. Luke 12:24; Matthew 7:11; 2 Corinthians 9:8; Psalm 34:10; and many more

2. Genesis 22:14 (NIV)

3. Mark 2:2-11 (NIV)

4. Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV)

5. 2 Corinthians 2:9 (ESV)

6. Genesis 22:3-19

Photo Credits:

1. Peñalara, Spain Summer 2023

2. Collage: Top Left: El Escorial fall 2023, Bottom left: Photos by Cierra Thomas, Right: Photos by Cierra Thomas

3. Bradenton Beach, Florida 2020