It can be difficult to see up ahead, can’t it? We want to. We try to peer into the future as far as we can see, calculating steps along the way, obstacles that will surmount, and triumphs we’ll make. We squint with all of our might, but the truth is, our finite minds can only see so far.
We can only come up with so many scenarios and so many “best” routes and possible outcomes.
We aren’t God.
Shortly before my daughter was supposed to start kindergarten, I was squinting hard. You see, my husband and I had talked since before she was born about how we planned to homeschool our kids. After numerous years of digesting our thoughts and praying over them to be sure it was something God was calling us to do, we discovered that yes, homeschooling was the route we were to take.
Yet, with the school year quickly approaching, I still found myself sitting in front of a computer every day at my full-time job. I knew working and homeschooling simultaneously wasn’t what the Lord had for me, and I’ve always had the strong desire to stay home with our kids; so, why did I sit at my desk, hesitant to back away?
As I shared in my 2-Part series about the idols we have in our lives, I struggled with leaving work because I didn’t think we could survive as a one-income family.
Even though I knew the Lord was calling me to stay home, I held onto the false belief that my monetary contribution to our family was greater than what God could do for us on one income.
Deep in my heart, I didn’t honestly believe that He could provide for us. I didn’t trust God’s promise of provision.
RELATED: Modern Day Idols in Your Life
God’s Provision is always available
But God.
He allows us to go through trials, be tested, and face hard decisions so that we can learn to trust in Him more.
According to Merriam-Webster, the word “provision” means the act or process of providing. It can also be thought of as a measure taken beforehand to deal with a need or contingency.
So when we fully understand provision, we can see that not only does God provide in terms of providing what we need at the moment, but He also provides what we need to prepare us for things to come.
This may not be obvious to us at the time (we can’t see into the future, remember?), but He’s putting the puzzle together for us. He knows what the full picture on the puzzle box looks like; we see just one puzzle piece at a time.
Release Your Grip and Grab God’s Provision
Please know that God’s provision is always there for His sons’ and daughters’ taking, but we don’t receive the blessing of His provision if our fists are clenched, tightly gripping what He’s asked us to release.
Maybe it’s something we have to physically let go of, like a job; or, perhaps it’s a decision we face that requires us to step out in faith. Whatever the case may be, the more we try to gaze into the future through our strongest prescription lenses, the more we are relying on ourselves, and not on God.
“God’s provision does not need our assistance. God will provide because He is good, gracious, and loves His children.”
So, when I finally took the step of faith and left my job to stay home and homeschool our daughter, I got to see the power of God’s provision firsthand. Of course, I’d seen it before; but this time it was evident to me. My husband’s income increased, expenses we previously struggled with were covered, and it was not stressful in the least bit.
I had the Lord’s peace.
And now, four years and counting— through various job changes and losses— God is still providing for us as a one-income family.
Bitter Sweet
Many of us are likely familiar with the events that transpired for the Israelites following their exodus from slavery in Egypt.
As we step into the scene in Exodus 15, the Lord had just saved the Israelites by parting the Red Sea for them and then closing it on top of the pursuing Egyptians. They praised the Lord in song, and as they entered the Wilderness of Shur, they found no water that wasn’t bitter in Marah.
God had just saved them through water; would He allow them to die by lack of water?
No. There, in Marah, the Lord miraculously turned the bitter water into sweet water. Traveling on, they came to Elim, where there were not one, but twelve wells of water.
First, parting waters. Next, sweet water; and then, an abundance of water.
God provided.
The Story of Manna
It’s easy to forget God’s provision sometimes, isn’t it sister? This is what the Israelites did. Just a month and a half after they witnessed the parting of the Red Sea, freedom from slavery, and more recently— fresh, sweet drinking water, they began to complain.
Exodus 16:2 says that the whole congregation of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron. Not just a few of them. All of them. They complained because they lacked food in the wilderness, yet had plenty to eat while in the hands of the Egyptians.
Despite recently witnessing the power of God through the 10 plagues in Egypt and the miracles that followed, they forgot about God’s ability to move His mighty hand.
But God.
God is Jehovah Jireh. He has compassion. He cares. He provides (even when we complain a little bit!).
The Israelites once again had a chance to view God’s provision, this time in the form of manna from heaven. God would rain down this manna each day; they only had to collect it according to the measurements the Lord instructed and trust Him that it would be enough (Exodus 16:16).
Since He promised to make it rain down every day, why did they have to trust Him that it’d be enough?
Because they were only to gather so much per person, and they couldn’t leave any leftovers. Some followed this command. Others lacked trust in God’s provision and tried to save some for the next day. The result– it spoiled (Exodus 16:19-20).
“And the Lord said to Moses, “How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws?””
But, here’s the thing about God’s provision. God is in control. Even after He gives it, He’s still in control.
We see this in the fact that the Lord instructed them that on the day before Sabbath they could gather twice as much manna because He would not rain down manna on Sabbath. Whatever manna they gathered and was leftover for Sabbath did not spoil. This shows that God was in control of His provision and whether He allowed it to spoil or not (Exodus 16:24).
We also see in Exodus 16:21 that the Israelites had to be disciplined to gather manna early in the morning.
Why? The manna melted when the sun got hot. God was in control of His provision. His desire was for them to trust in Him as He provided, but He also didn’t want them to be lazy as they trusted in His provision. He provided, but they still had to be diligent to do their part, according to the instructions He gave them.
Trusting the Lord as Jehovah Jireh does not mean we sit around with our feet kicked up. We allow the Lord to work in our lives, being mindful of what He is simultaneously asking us to do.
What does Jehovah Jireh mean?
Jehovah Jireh is one of the most well-known names of God in the Bible. We see it mentioned shortly after God tells Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, yet in the midst of Abraham’s obedience, God provides a ram to be sacrificed instead.
“And Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” ”
Even given what many would consider the most soul-troubling of commands— to sacrifice your own son— Abraham’s faith in God did not waver.
In fact, his faith was so deep-rooted that he didn’t hesitate, and fully believed that no matter how God carried out His purposes— whether God would provide a lamb for the burnt offering (Genesis 22:8) or God would raise Isaac from the dead (Hebrews 11:19)— that he told the servants who had traveled with them to Mount Moriah that after the sacrifice, “we will come back to you.” (Genesis 22:5)
He said “we”, not “I”. Did you get that?
Abraham trusted in God’s provision; but more importantly, he trusted in God Himself— Jehovah Jireh.
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How to Trust God: 10 Practical Tips
Coming to grips with how to trust God in our needs is possible, sister. Will we make mistakes sometimes? Yes. Will we forget what He’s done in the past as we approach a new situation? Sometimes. But, there are a few lessons we can learn from Abraham, and the countless descendants that came through the line of his “almost” sacrificed son, Isaac.
#1: Seek the Lord in your need.
Get to know Him. Stay close to Him. Cry out to Him, and He will hear you.
#2: Know that the Lord will never lead you astray.
Isn’t it amazing that Abraham, having never seen God raise someone from the dead, would have enough faith in the Lord to believe He could! As illogical as God’s commands may sound sometimes, know that His wisdom is infinite and He knows what He is telling you to do.
#3: Step out in faith.
Just believe. Search the Scriptures for Bible verses about trusting God, re-read Hebrews 11, and then go read the stories of each person mentioned in the Hall of Faith. You will be encouraged.
#4: Remember God’s provision in the past.
Think about the small and big ways the Lord has provided for you in the past. It will ignite your faith in trusting Him with your future.
#5: Praise the Lord.
Just as the Israelites praised Him in song after they left Egypt, you can praise the Lord as you see His goodness in your life. Write the praises in a journal so you can turn back to them in the future. Journaling will help you immensely with tip #4!
#6: Follow the instructions the Lord gives you.
Don’t go looking for manna on the Sabbath! Sister, the Lord tells you the things to do for a reason. His directions don’t need your editing or manipulation.
#7: Be diligent.
Be a good steward of God’s provision in the way you handle it, keep it, and use it.
#8: Prepare for hard decisions.
Sometimes what the Lord calls you to do may be hard. You may have to wait longer than expected before you see His provision. That’s ok. He knows what He’s doing. Do you believe that?
#9: Expect to see Jehovah Jireh.
He can provide. He will provide. Trust and believe that He will do all He says He will do.
#10: Stay in prayer.
Communication with the Lord is crucial. He is your lifeline. As my pastor always says, “Don’t hang up the phone!”
Bonus Tip: Take a few minutes and read Psalm 78 which gives insight into many of the things we discussed in this post!
Be Encouraged
Sister, God is ready and willing to provide for you, just as He has for countless people since the beginning of time. He loves you, and won’t leave you hanging. God’s provision is real.
Don’t make the mistake I used to, trying to see too far up ahead into the distance. Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear. The Lord is near. Refocus your eyes. He’s right here.