A week ago today I announced that I am leaving in September for the World Race. A week ago today I had no support raised, except for the $150 deposit I had to make to secure my spot. I checked my account on Monday night, and I had 3 people donate. A friend from high school whom I haven’t seen in forever donated $10. A friend from Camp Ozark, a camp I spent two summers working at, donated $50. An unknown heart donated $100. That put me at $319. Elated. People believe in what God wants to do with this! It was so exciting. God was providing!!!
After a hard Monday night, wrestling with other people’s unbelief in the Lord’s provision and fighting so hard to keep that fear out of my own heart, God thought he’d just show me a little (lot) more about how serious he is about being Jehovah-jireh.
Can we stop on that name for a second? Jehovah-jireh. It pops up in Genesis, my favorite book of the Bible. It’s the name Abraham gave the place his son Isaac was spared from sacrifice. That’s one of my favorite stories. I can’t even fathom being willing to physically sacrifice a loved one, one who was promised to me, who was a miracle child, one who was supposed to be the seed that would grow a mighty nation in the Lord’s name. And yet that is what Abraham did.
The Bible doesn’t give us the reaction of Abe, only his obedience. But I imagine him being speechless. I imagine his heart sinking to his stomach. He probably didn’t say a lot of words the rest of the night, if he said anything at all. A long gaze between Abraham and his wife and Sarah knew God had asked something big of her husband. I wonder if she knew, though, when they left early the next morning, that there was a possibility she would never see her only son again; I wonder if Abraham spared her the stomach churning fear.
And so Abraham goes. And it’s not like this was some fifteen-minute trip down the road. THREE DAYS. They traveled for three days, Isaac thinking they were going to sacrifice a lamb and Abraham trying to grip the fact that his son was the lamb. I can’t imagine.
“On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar.” Genesis 22:4
Can you feel the tension? Can you feel his heart beating a thousand miles an hour because they were finally there? Maybe he was thinking “God, did I hear you right? Are you sure? Must I?” But his understanding was seeping through the questions he raised; he knew this was his task.
The picture of the next scene is best displayed by a series of bible story movies we owned when we were kids. It’s still the picture I think of to this day. Isaac, confused about where the lamb was; Abraham, doing his best to hide the quiver in his voice. They built the altar. They laid the wood. And then Abraham takes Isaacs hands, and binds them as he would the young lamb. For some reason, I don’t imagine Isaac flipping out, like I might. His eyes fill with confusion, at first. Then Abraham binds his feet. The puddles of confusion turn to partial terror. His eyes plead with his father, but no words are exchanged. Abraham sets Isaac on the altar; an innocent sacrifice. The terror that enveloped Isaac’s eyes moments before has now turned to sorrow, and a small hint of understanding surfaces, the kind of understanding only the Lord can provide a heart.
“Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.” Genesis 22:10
And in more perfect timing than even Steven Spielberg could create, God steps in and provides.
“But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “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 son, your only son, from me.” And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a 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.”
Genesis 22:11-14
What a beautiful picture of the cross. What a breathtaking thought that before Jesus, we were all Isaac; destined to be sacrificed, knowing the sacrifice would never be enough. And then God provided Jesus, the perfect sacrifice to end the reign of sin in our hearts. Jehovah-jireh; the Lord will provide. When we submit, he delivers.
The Lord has provided $740 in funds within the last 3 days. Some friends of mine who are engaged and just finishing college and starting new lives as missions directors gave me $100 on Tuesday. A wonderful woman I went to church with in San Antonio donated $25. The owners of the shop I work at, the people who taught me to dream about adventure more than I’ve ever allowed myself to, gave me $100 on Wednesday. Today I checked my account and had a $515 donation from the girl whose feisty southern sass and love showed me so much Jesus my freshman year, and who has been a constant source of leadership for me since then. And that’s just monetary provision! I already have a list of 20 or so blessings that have come, or have been promised to come, through this thing I’m being called to.
I am honored and humbled. For all of you who are telling people about the World Race and sharing my story, thank you. For everyone who is praying and interceding on my behalf, thank you from the bottom of my heart. For everyone who has and will sacrifice a portion of your hard earned money to help me, thank you thank you thank you.
One week in and I am 1/16th of the way funded! SO COOL!!!!
I would love love love if you would consider supporting me in this trip! I still have a lot more to go but I know that it will get done with my hard work and your support! Support me in not only going and sharing the gospel with 11 different nations and countless people groups, but also in the testimony it brings to those here. $16,000 is a lot, but how awesome will it be when it is completely raised and all we can point to is the Lord! I know people will come to know his name just by that. So join me if you can, every $10, $100, and $1000 counts! And as always, please keep this whole journey of mine in your prayers!
