Jehovah Jireh
God is so good to provide for my family in so many ways as He is a God that answers prayer.
Recently, I have been on a very tight budget in which we are not able to spend much at the grocery store but I find that during these seasons, God's faithfulness becomes that much more evident in our lives.
Upon leaving a meeting last week, someone gave me a bag of produce and another person chased me down to offer me a veggie tray and pretzels. This may not seem like an act of God's provision but I have been here before and recognize immediately God's tenacious love for me.
I had been to the grocery store that day and I had to really stick to a tight budget and these seemingly insignificant items, I knew were the Lords way of showing me that He cares for me and continues to be my provider during times of difficulty.
Last night I was putting away the soup that I had made and realized that our refrigerator is full of fresh produce and a variety of other foods.
I am reminded of Proverbs 30:8-9
There is a balance between poverty and riches. Our propensity to rely on ourselves is much more evident when it seems as if we do not have to wait on the Lord for our food.
Psalm 16 reminds us that lack can serve to keep our minds and hearts in a place where we are receptive to the Lord.
I have often said that if the richest man in the world would ask God to provide him a loaf of bread and he actually resolved to not buy any bread, that God would deliver to him at the very least a loaf of bread.
God delights in showing his goodness and faithfulness to people yet the human heart tends towards anxiety when there is a sense of lack.
Philippians 4 addresses this propensity toward anxiousness and gives insight into how to counteract the anxiety in our hearts.
Paul then goes on to exhort the believers in Philippi to think on all the good and commendable things that are evident in their lives. In order to have peace of mind in any area we must direct our minds to think on all the excellent things that God has done, reminding ourselves of His goodness.
Finally, Paul cuts to the chase;
Being content in your circumstance is not naturally easy for the human heart but the Word of God gives us insight that it is clearly a learning process.
When we face challenges in a variety of circumstances, we can, through him find the strength to be content.
God will give us opportunities to grow in this area by allowing us to go through seasons of seeming lack. These seasons are an opportunity to see God as your provider in a new way.
Think about all the scriptures that show forth God's faithfulness to provide. The two that immediately come to my mind are the Lord providing a ram for the sacrifice that He called Abraham to.
Certain death was looming over Abraham's heart but he knew God was faithful and trustworthy and he obeyed His voice and prepared his very own son to be the sacrifice to the Lord and right at the point of obedience, God made a way out of the situation by providing a ram in the thicket to sacrifice instead of his only son.
Another passage of scripture that I have seen play out in my life time and time again after learning it from my mother as a child is;
I grew up in a family where there was much lack and much opportunity to feel like the Lord did not hear or care if we were struggling. Once through that season, my mom wrote a paper about the difference between how my brother and I responded to this lack. My brother would complain and constantly grumble about our circumstance while I would rejoice when we were able to get the free government cheese to put on our potatoes.
I see now that facing lack has instilled in me a confidence in the Lord's provision over my life and when facing new challenges, I choose to be content in the circumstance, knowing that He hears me before I even call on Him for help.
Last night my husband and I met with a financial advisor about a current investment that we want to add to for our retirement. While discussing these things I felt like maybe I just needed to get a part time job. I could sense that if I meditated on the need for more money and not on my Provider then I would become anxious so I immediately brought it to the Lord in prayer.
I asked Him to show me if He wanted me to get a job. When I got home I was checking my email and I had received a request for "provider" care from the Department of Developmental Disabilities where I am a registered provider.
Recently, I have been on a very tight budget in which we are not able to spend much at the grocery store but I find that during these seasons, God's faithfulness becomes that much more evident in our lives.
Upon leaving a meeting last week, someone gave me a bag of produce and another person chased me down to offer me a veggie tray and pretzels. This may not seem like an act of God's provision but I have been here before and recognize immediately God's tenacious love for me.
I had been to the grocery store that day and I had to really stick to a tight budget and these seemingly insignificant items, I knew were the Lords way of showing me that He cares for me and continues to be my provider during times of difficulty.
Last night I was putting away the soup that I had made and realized that our refrigerator is full of fresh produce and a variety of other foods.
I am reminded of Proverbs 30:8-9
... give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the food that is needful for me,
lest I be full and deny you and say,
"Who is the LORD?"
or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.
There is a balance between poverty and riches. Our propensity to rely on ourselves is much more evident when it seems as if we do not have to wait on the Lord for our food.
Psalm 16 reminds us that lack can serve to keep our minds and hearts in a place where we are receptive to the Lord.
Better is the little that the righteous has
than the abundance of many wicked.
For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
but the LORD upholds the righteous.
I have often said that if the richest man in the world would ask God to provide him a loaf of bread and he actually resolved to not buy any bread, that God would deliver to him at the very least a loaf of bread.
God delights in showing his goodness and faithfulness to people yet the human heart tends towards anxiety when there is a sense of lack.
Philippians 4 addresses this propensity toward anxiousness and gives insight into how to counteract the anxiety in our hearts.
"Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice.
Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.
The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything,
but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God,
which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Paul then goes on to exhort the believers in Philippi to think on all the good and commendable things that are evident in their lives. In order to have peace of mind in any area we must direct our minds to think on all the excellent things that God has done, reminding ourselves of His goodness.
Finally, Paul cuts to the chase;
... for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.
I know how to be brought low,
and I know how to abound.
In any and every circumstance,
I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger,
abundance and need.
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Being content in your circumstance is not naturally easy for the human heart but the Word of God gives us insight that it is clearly a learning process.
When we face challenges in a variety of circumstances, we can, through him find the strength to be content.
God will give us opportunities to grow in this area by allowing us to go through seasons of seeming lack. These seasons are an opportunity to see God as your provider in a new way.
Think about all the scriptures that show forth God's faithfulness to provide. The two that immediately come to my mind are the Lord providing a ram for the sacrifice that He called Abraham to.
Certain death was looming over Abraham's heart but he knew God was faithful and trustworthy and he obeyed His voice and prepared his very own son to be the sacrifice to the Lord and right at the point of obedience, God made a way out of the situation by providing a ram in the thicket to sacrifice instead of his only son.
Another passage of scripture that I have seen play out in my life time and time again after learning it from my mother as a child is;
Isaiah 65:24
I will answer them before the even call to me.
While they are still talking about their needs,
I will go ahead and answer their prayers.
We have a God who answers before we even call to Him for help!
I grew up in a family where there was much lack and much opportunity to feel like the Lord did not hear or care if we were struggling. Once through that season, my mom wrote a paper about the difference between how my brother and I responded to this lack. My brother would complain and constantly grumble about our circumstance while I would rejoice when we were able to get the free government cheese to put on our potatoes.
I see now that facing lack has instilled in me a confidence in the Lord's provision over my life and when facing new challenges, I choose to be content in the circumstance, knowing that He hears me before I even call on Him for help.
Last night my husband and I met with a financial advisor about a current investment that we want to add to for our retirement. While discussing these things I felt like maybe I just needed to get a part time job. I could sense that if I meditated on the need for more money and not on my Provider then I would become anxious so I immediately brought it to the Lord in prayer.
I asked Him to show me if He wanted me to get a job. When I got home I was checking my email and I had received a request for "provider" care from the Department of Developmental Disabilities where I am a registered provider.
I am once again reminded that God IS indeed MY provider and so I can rest in Him.
... godliness with contentment is great gain,
for we brought nothing into the world,
and we cannot take anything out of the world.
But if we have food and clothing,
with these we will be content.
I Timothy 6: 6-8
Father, thank you for your faithful love and provision over our lives. Help us to realize that You are our provider even when we are in a season of rich abundance.
We are so prone to think that our circumstances are dependent on us to make a way but we forget how you provided a sacrifice for us by giving your own Son to atone for our sin. You are indeed our great provider Jehovah Jireh!
Steer our minds to learn contentment because we see that when we have more we tend to want more, never being content with what we have and when we are in a season of lack help us to see that you want to show us who You really are even though our heart's propensity is to think that we are in control of our lives.
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