The Names of God

Jehovah-jireh

Proverbs 18:10 (NASB) — 10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe.

• There is nothing more that needs to be added to the name of the Lord. It is perfectly capable of keeping safe all who run in to it.

The name of the Lord is more than a name; it’s a revelation of who He is.

Jehovah-jireh: The Lord will provide. “The Lord sees (and is seen)”

Gen 22:1-14

God tested Abraham

Test vs. Tempt

• God will never tempt anyone to sin. Sin is not God’s plan for you nor is it His will for you. Sin is our own doing.
• All of us have sin in our past, but by God’s grace through His Son He has redeemed that sin. He has turned it in to something that brings Him glory. Your story brings Him glory.

We can learn about God through study or listening to sermons, but get to know Him through experiences. Through those varied experiences we learn that God is enough.

Abraham – covenant name.

• God was testing Abraham’s trust in God’s promise.
• A test is an opportunity to trust God.

Abraham trusted God

Isaac was the son promised to Abraham for years, and now God was asking Abraham sacrifice his son, his only son, as an act of worship.

Abraham rose early the next day to begin the journey, and on arriving said to the men who traveled with them, “Stay here, I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.”

• Was he lying or was Abraham in denial?
• Later when Isaac would ask his father, “Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham would reply, “God will provide for Himself the lamb…”
• When push came to shove, Abraham chose to trust God rather than be overwhelmed by his circumstances. His response was worship.
• Tests are for our benefit.
• They reveal God’s character.
• They reveal our character.
• We can say we trust God, but a test is an opportunity to trust God.
• To Abraham, God was more than his provider; God was his provision. God, Himself, was enough. 

God provided for Abraham

Abraham’s actions are a beautiful illustration of Prov 18:10, “…the righteous runs into it and is safe.”

• While it makes a great platitude and a joyful song, it’s extraordinarily difficult to live out.

The path that led Abraham to know God as Jehovah-jireh was one that was painful, and brought him to a place where God was the only option. That’s hard. But God provided!

Abraham “raised his eyes” and saw God’s provision. If we focus on one thing for too long, everything else goes out of focus. If all we’re seeing is our need, there’s a good chance we’re missing God’s provision.

When Abraham raised his eyes off of his son, he saw God’s substitute…behind him…caught in a thicket, perfectly prepared by Jehovah-jireh, the Lord who sees and provides.

What needs are you facing today? God sees it! No matter what it is, or how large or small it seems, God sees it, and He is more than able to provide for it. When He does, your story will bring God glory.

Choose to respond to your desperate circumstance with worship.

Look up because your provision may be closer than you think.

= prayer =

I’m going to make worship a daily practice.

I’m going to step back from my circumstance to be able to see more clearly where God may be providing.