For the remainder of summer I’ve decided to do video posts on the names of God and explore some short testimonials on what these names mean to me. Because I’m not an expert in Hebrew I’ll probably mispronounce some of them, but not to worry, we’ll get by.

Abraham looked up and there in the 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.’ Genesis 22:13-14

So the first name Jehovah Jireh – The LORD will Provide – or quite literally – God will see to it.

So this event here in Genesis is a foreshadowing of God’s sparing us through His son through the sacrifice that Abraham does not make of his son, Isaac. But something also that stands out to me here is God’s abundant provision.

God spares Isaac from death, but that’s not where it stops. It’s that classic advertising slogan of ‘But wait, there’s more.’ And there is, a ram appears in a thicket and there is provision.

Isaac is saved from death which, in and of itself is miraculous. It’s an example of God’s great compassion, love and grace, to Isaac: that He is a God of grace. Abundant grace. But there’s more as well. The ram appears in the thicket for Abraham.

Abraham has gone up on the mountainside to offer a sacrifice. But he’s been stopped midway. And now he can’t carry through with his sacrifice. But God says:

“Don’t worry. I’ve got it sorted. I will see to it.”

And God does. A ram appears in the thicket.

And I would say that this is definitely something that I have experienced in my own life as a follower of Christ. There have been times when I’ve been significantly, really heavily weighed down by burdens that I’ve been praying about and I’ve thought that God wanted me to do x,y,z… and I’ve been really troubled by that. Then as I’ve prayed about it I’ve realised that God didn’t actually want me to do x,y,z…

He just wanted to know that I was willing to do it and instead of that, not only has he lifted the burden, He has said “Here is abundant provision that you didn’t expect.” He’s opened the door to that and said “You weren’t expecting it, but here it is, it’s all ready to go. Here for you.”

And so that’s something that I’ve seen similar to what Abraham experiences here, a lifting of a burden and gracious provision instead when we didn’t expect it.

This is what Jehovah Jireh is all about. God often just wants us to show that we are willing. And then when we have done so he says “Well, guess what: there’s actually something here available for you.”

So just step up. Take that step of faith and He will guide your moving vessel into a safe harbour.

Jehovah Jireh – The Lord will Provide – ‘I will see to it’ He says.

It’s who He is. It’s what he does.