Professor Jones. Doctor Scott. Mrs. Baker. Mom. What do all these characters have in common? They each have a name or title that tell us something significant about them. We call someone a professor because they teach at a college or university. We call someone a doctor because they’ve earned a doctorate degree. We call a woman “Mrs.” because she is married. We call someone Mom (or Dad) because they play an important role in our lives by teaching us, guiding us, and helping us. We give other people similar names/titles, like our Pastor, President, or Principal. These titles and others tell us important things about the people they describe.
God was also given names and titles in the Bible which tell us significant things about Him. The most popular name of God is “YHWH”, which can also be spelled “Yahweh” or “Jehovah”. This name basically means “Lord” or “Master” (and is often written as “LORD” in our Bibles). There are several compound names of God in the Bible that specify who our Lord is and what our Lord does. One of these names is Jehovah Jireh, which means “The Lord will Provide”.[1]
In Genesis 22, we find a fairly popular story of the Bible – “The Sacrifice of Isaac”. In this passage, God commanded Abraham (the father of the Israelites) to sacrifice Isaac, his only son whom he’d waited years and years for the Lord to provide. God had previously promised to make a great nation of Isaac and make a covenant with him and his descendants (Genesis 12:2, 17:19), but now God was asking Abraham to kill him. Thinking God would raise Isaac from the dead (Hebrews 11:17-19), Abraham obeyed and prepared for the sacrifice. He went to the mountain and was about to kill Isaac when God stopped him and provided a ram to sacrifice instead. God had been testing Abraham’s trust in Him and His promises. Because Abraham trusted and obeyed God, God confirmed His covenant with Abraham.
“So Abraham called the name of that place, ‘The LORD will provide’…” Genesis 22:14a, ESV
Jehovah Jireh. The Lord will Provide!1 God provided a ram to sacrifice so Abraham wouldn’t sacrifice his own son. The Bible records numerous other accounts of God’s provision for His people. It also teaches us that God provides for our needs. Paul writes:
“And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19
“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8, NIV
God provides for all our needs, big and small. God blesses us abundantly so that we are able to do good works and bring Him glory. You have experienced God’s abundant provision firsthand! He has provided for you by giving you life, food, shelter, comforts, a job, or a spouse, or great friends, and internet to read this post.
But it’s not always easy to trust God to provide. I definitely know from personal experience that human beings are prone to be anxious and worried about whether or not we’ll receive something or whether or not something will happen. Jesus actually teaches on this during His Sermon on the Mount. After telling His disciples not to be anxious about food, drink, and clothing, He declares:
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33, ESV
Seek first God’s kingdom! Seek first spreading the Gospel. Seek first showing Jesus’ love. Seek first God’s glory. Do not be anxious! Jehovah Jireh – the Lord will provide for ALL your needs. No need is too big or too small for our God! Whatever your needs (or the needs of those around you) are today, tell them to Jehovah Jireh, our God who provides, and pray for Him to intervene and provide for those specific needs.
[1] “The Names of God in the Old Testament,” Blue Letter Bible, https://www.blueletterbible.org/study/misc/name_god.cfm.
