God Provides Good Gifts…Good Summertime Gift #1
The ability to travel is always a good gift to me. This lovely pathway is a common site in New York City’s Central Park.
I was struggling to put a heavy Costco item onto my cart when a buff young guy wearing a muscle shirt offered to help. Effortlessly, he placed the weighty merchandise on the bottom of the cart, walking away quickly as I offered profuse thanks.
There was no need to remove the load during checkout, but as I made my way back to the car, it occurred to me I probably still couldn’t manage my hefty purchase! “Lord,” I muttered softly, “I sure could use another strong man to help me get this into the car.”
As I approached our Subaru, a beautiful cherry red Chevy Suburban pulled into the spot right next to me, and a burly gentleman exited. “Sir,” I entreated, “would you be willing to help me get this into the back of my car?” “You bet,” he responded without hesitation, hoisting the heavy purchase easily into the car. “Can I get that watermelon for you too?” he inquired. I assured the kind man I’d be able to manage that.
Jehovah Jireh—God will provide—was a name Abraham ascribed to God. God had asked Abraham to go up a mountain and sacrifice his precious son Isaac. Abraham obeyed, and as he was ready to follow through on the horrific act, the answer to his dilemma mysteriously appeared in the nearby shrubs.
God had provided a suitable sacrifice—the perfect solution!
So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide” [Jehovah Jireh]; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” (Genesis 22:14 ESV, emphasis mine)
Now, I know the way in which God provided for me does not compare to Abraham’s provision. His was a big-time miracle. I would never call the appearance of a strong man pulling up next to my car at a fortuitous time a miracle. But it surely was a good gift from a loving God who knows this not-so-strong grandmother in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. God, as I’ve experienced many times, cares about even my minor, inconveniences.
Jehovah-Jireh provided an appropriate sacrifice for Abraham millennia ago. That same Jehovah-Jireh, I believe, provided a bit of brawn for me the other day at Costco.
What about you? What is your need? Have you considered bringing your request to Jehovah-Jireh, the God Who Still Provides?
You’ve probably seen the Crystal Ball in NYC’s Times Square slowly descend on New Year’s Eve. Here it is in August 2021 waiting for New Year 2022.
The impressive Washington Monument, at 555 feet, is the highest point in our nation’s capital.
