The RAM / 2025 JEHOVA JIREH (The God Who Provides)

The Lord has been speaking to me about trust. We can tell the Lord we trust him, but do we truly trust him. It's one thing to maybe give up something we enjoy, but do we trust him with our loved ones who are struggling?

In Genesis 22:1-3 ESV, God tested Abraham and said to him, "Abraham!" and he responded right away and said, "Here I am." God then said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." Abraham got up in the morning and proceded to do exactly as God instructed with no delay. I know God would not ask me to do that, but do I trust God and respond right away in obedience when he asks me to do something like Abraham? Is my faith and trust deep enough?

I struggled with this story for years regarding a loved one but now understand God was asking me to trust him no matter what things looked like. That meant letting go, giving that loved one totally to him. As much as I tried, I still found myself fearful of loss when things were not going well, my faith and trust was not deep enough as much as I desperately wanted it to be.

When we go through major losses and trauma in life, it can hinder our ability to trust God and people no matter how much we want to. We need God to heal our souls and that requires prayer, intimate time with him, time in his word and also reaching out for help as often as needed. God is faithful to bring friends and mentors into our lives right when we need them.

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!"

I've since learned that God's character is good, always. God is for us and keeps His promises. "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose," (Romans 8:28)

God knows all things and is not bound by time and space. He is present at all times and knows all things in all dimensions. There is never a time he is not with you. He always has a purpose and knows the outcome before the event. God knew He would stop Abraham before he sacrificed his son, He was teaching and testing Abraham.

In the Old Testament we learn that a blood sacrifice is required by God to cover sin. God first sacrificed an animal to make a covering for Adam and Eve's nakedness and sin when they disobeyed Him by eating from the forbidden tree. Then later we read God led His children, the Israelites, out of Egyptian captivity. He commanded them very specifically regarding the sacrifices required. A burnt offering of a perfect lamb would be required for sin. The only way we can be in God's presence is to be without sin. Sacrificing that perfect lamb on an alter was the only way to be cleansed and restored back to relationship with God.

Back to Abraham... When Abraham and his son Isaac reached the mountaintop, Isaac asked his father, "Where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" Abraham said, "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son," (Genesis 22:7-14) Abraham had great faith, he knew God would make away even though he didn't know how. He had blessed Abraham with the miraculous birth of his son in old age and promised He would make a nation from his son Isaac. He knew God's faithfulness and knew God didn't need his help. He knew to obey and trust. Right before Abraham was about to sacrifice his son, we read the angel of the Lord called to him and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And Abraham said, "Here I am."

"Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your only son from me". And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in the thicket by his horns, and Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, "The Lord will provide"; as it is said to this day, " On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided."

God had future plans for everlasting redemption and these stories are all pointing us to what He would eventually do for us through the sacrifice of His son Jesus. Today, just as back then, the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). God loved us so much he provided the sacrifice for all time through his son Jesus, everlasting redemption. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life," (John 3:16).

The God of heaven is faithful, our Provider. One of His many names is Jehova Jireh, which means "the God who provides". He came to earth in human form as God the Son, Jesus Christ. He came to die so that we could have life. He was the perfect lamb of sacrifice to pay for our sins for all time.

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29 ESV).

Am I willing to obey and trust Him? I say "Here I am Lord!"