Jehovah-Jireh

The Lord Provides

Lately I've been calling out to God using these names. I love them even if I'm likely butchering the Hebrew like crazy! Thank you that you live to intercede for me Christ!

My friend Nicki was having a bad day the other day and she was talking about God being our provider and let me just say that I could write a book about how often God has provided for my family and I in BIG ways! So it got me to diggin' into the Word about God providing and I stumbled on a familiar story but it really fell fresh on me this week. In fact, I've been sitting on it a few days before I attempted to blog because it really blew me away!

I Kings 17. Let me stop right here for a minute. For some reason I really had this preconception that Kings and Chronicles were - well frankly - not up there with the most exciting books in the Word. I know, it's really sad how dense I am! haha

Anyway, Elijah was hiding from Ahab (the Arab! sorry, couldn't resist) because he had just dropped the little bomb that their Baal had no power over the rain so the king was not real happy to see him. Anyway, Elijah was hiding near this ravine and God told him "You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there." 14:4 Ok, I'm no Biblical scholar but I'm PRETTY CERTAIN God did NOT mean the Baltimore Ravens! In fact, I don't think the NFL was around! JK! Do you get that? God ordered ravens to feed Elijah! "The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook." 14:6 Ok, I have to admit that I DO NOT like ravens. I don't like crows. I can't help but think of them as the "death bird". (I know, I can't believe I read Stephen King either! Grace, people, grace!) But if I'm gonna let God work I've got to get over whatever idea I have of HOW He's gonna do it!

Ok, back to the provision. THEN the brook dries up (remember who was controlling the rain) so God sends him to another town where a widow would take care of him. Now, last I checked widows weren't real high on the social scale but Elijah couldn't exactly be choosy. So he meets the widow she asks him if he's lost his mind because she wasn't about to give him the last of her flour and oil because she had a son, after all! (ok ya'll understand this is my interpretation right? haha) Elijah promises her that the Lord would provide and "She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah." 17:15-16 Do you get that? Her jars did not run dry. THE LORD PROVIDES.

Now if that weren't enough the story goes on that the widows son becomes very sick and Elijah cries to the Lord to spare him and the son lives. The chapter ends with the woman (who was a bit skeptical of Elijah's word for her) saying "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth." 17:24 So, if you have a need, cry out to Jehovah-Jireh, claim His truth in the Word and then be ready to listen to Him. It may require some effort on your part (Elijah had to go to the brook and the widow - the widow had to follow Elijah's instruction and share her flour and oil) but that's what relationship is! You seek Him, He instructs you, you work, you seek Him....RELATIONSHIP!