Impossible Faith: Powerful Provider

by Pam Farrel @PamFarrel

 He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever. Psalm 111:5

One of the prayers I often pray is Lord we look to You for your power, protection, and provision. I know we can ask this because God offers his character to back up his promises.

My favorite name of God is Jehovah Jireh, meaning “the one who will see to it.” When God provided a lamb for Abraham’s sacrifice on Mt. Moriah, rescuing his son Isaac from death, Abraham called that place Jehovah Jireh: the Lord will provide (Genesis 22:14). He not only provides for us in the present but will provide in the future as well. It is a part of His character.

And if God sees, he also foresees. In Names of God, Nathan Stone writes: “As the One who possesses eternal wisdom and knowledge, He knows the end from the beginning. As Elohim, He is all knowing, all-wise, and all-powerful. From eternity to eternity He forsees everything. But another word for seeing is vision, from the Latin word video—to see. So, it’s like God has the video for your life! Not only does he have the video, he is the director!”

Our actions in life directly reflect our view of God: “A.W. Tozer says in his classic book, The Knowledge of the Holy, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”

What we think about God will determine how willing we are to step out in faith. Abraham knew God keeps His promises. Hebrews 11 tells us God had previously told him, “In Isaac, your descendants shall be called.” Abraham knew God was able to raise people even from the dead. So, he willingly walked Isaac up that mountain, fully expecting God to keep His promises.

And in doing so, Abraham discovered another character trait of God: that the Lord was Jehovah Jireh. The God who provides.

Henry Blackaby and Claude King agree. In Experiencing God, they write, “How I live my life is a testimony of what I believe about God.”

I like to say, “Show me your God, and I will show you your ability to achieve. Small God—small life. Big God—big opportunities and potential await.” His character never changes. We can trust Him for provision because He is the God who provides.

God has never let us down. We married young and followed hard after God to complete our education and go to seminary, all while working in a ministry with the youth. And God unfailingly met our needs. He sent groceries when our cupboards were bare. He sent a car for under $100, after we rode bikes for a year. He sent supportive families to contribute toward our seminary education, because they were thankful we were shepherding their teens. He sent wise mentors to help us think through the buying of our home, and faithful families who jumped in and helped build the one we built when we moved into the senior pastorate.

God provided every step of the way, both in small and large ways. We worked hard, yes, very hard. But when our compensation fell short in providing for our needs, He moved circumstances or the hearts of people to accomplish many answers to prayer—in ways that were pretty miraculous.

God does not change. He will always act in ways that are consistent with His character. He will always be Jehovah Jireh: the God who will provide. You can trust Him to do that for you. His actions will always be within the context of His grace. “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11 NASB).

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Impossible Faith: Powerful Provider – insight and encouragement from @PamFarrel on @AriseDailyDevo (Click to Tweet)

About the author: Pam Farrel. author of 50+ books, is an international speaker and co-director, with her husband, Bill of Love-Wise.com. Her newest book is Discovering Jesus in the Old Testament: A Creative Bible Study Experience (co-authors Jean E Jones and Karl Dornacher) from Harvest House.

Join the conversation: How has God provided for you recently?