Jehovah Jireh:”the Lord who provides” …as referenced from Genesis 22 when the Lord calls Abraham to sacrifice Isaac (his only son whom he had waited for what seemed like forever to have) and the Lord uses His perfect timing to present a sacrifice so that Abraham need not pull a “God” afterall and let his only son die for a greater purpose, but instead prove his undying love for everything God was to him.
I have pretty much walked around the house these past eight weeks walking around saying, “Jehovah Jireh” almost as though it were my very breath.
I have never found myself willing to be put in a position of such humility as to have to ask people for money. [For those of you who know me, it’s in fact one of my least favorite things, including when my friends have offered to buy my dinner/coffee/random things, I just don’t seem to handle it gracefully.] Well, as you all know I was required to send out support letters as ask people for money. I realize that I was really asking them to partner with me and God in this and help me have the opportunity to spread Love worldwide, to take the same Love that I have learned and experienced here and share it with others there. I have found myself learning about the specificity of prayer, that God wants to specifically see that you recognize the need you would like for Him to fulfill because you know it’s not going to happen by your own means.
It’s been things as simple as dropping my letters in the mailbox asking God over and over to, “Bless these letters God, do your thing. I want to see it.”
Being able to speak and gain support from churches that have never been my immediate family, but have loved my parents and grandmother. They opened their hearts, no questions, no back story needed, no credibility to be established; they just gave. Having my own church family support and encourage me through all of it, including helping me advertise all of my fundraisers to hundreds and making a tremendous donation.
Having a huge multi-family garage sale that consisted of the outpouring of so many family’s things, manual labor from families that love me and don’t mind showing it however they need to, friends that came and sat in the heat to work it with me so that I wouldn’t have to do it on my own, and prayers throughout all the preparation and actual sale. Those prayers opened my eyes to the hugeness of God. Never in a million years would I have hoped to make $2,100 dollars in the twelve hours of a yard sale, but the Lord provides.
Having a fundraiser that I literally stood at the door greeting the lack of people that wanted pizza buffet that night as specifically praying that God would show me his provision in a way that I would be sure not to miss. Shortly after pausing that prayer, a man walked up who hadn’t listened to me on the way in, stopped on his way out. He wanted to know what I was doing, I told him and he quickly asked to donate. He gave me $20, told me to have a safe and blessed trip and walked out. His donation was equivalent to 20 people coming in!
The Lord provides, He does it, it’s His thing.
I have never been so enthralled with Him, at who He is. I have literally lived the past eight weeks living in amazement on a daily basis, basquing in the very essence of who He is as a provider. Knowing that He would provide the support was a no-brainer, but seeing $11,000 of support in 8 weeks? I could have never imagined.
I’ve always been someone who’s sought out my validity through status, others’ perceptions, possessions, but they always left me working harder to maintain it all. This is the first time I have allowed myself to accept that someone wants to show me what it means to have unconditionally validity. He doesn’t expect me to jump through hoops, or where the right clothes when I want to meet with Him, or have the right Bible before I can read His word. He just wants me to come, sit and talk, so that He can respond and I can hear it.
This is how God is my Jehovah Jireh, He seeks me out to show me my validity in Him, not the other way around.
