With the continuation of the regulations placed on our province, times continue to be challenging. Some have lost their jobs, some are on the verge of losing their jobs and business, and many are worried about providing for themselves and their families. And there are other needs as well. Is there hope? Is there anyone who can provide for our needs when we are unable to? Today I want to share with you a story that addresses this question. Remember Abraham and Sarah? They were given a promise that they would have a son. Many years after the events of what we looked at last week, Sarah bears a child. It occurred 25 years after the promise was made. And it happened at a time in her life when she was long past being able to have children. God is the one who opened the womb and provided. One of the many blessings that God gives is children. When Thea came into the world, it was one of the best days of my life. She arrived into my world healthy, whole and full of energy. Aimee and I called her Theadora because of the meaning behind the name. It is the female equivalent of Theodore which means “Gift of God”. She is our gift from God, and though parenting can be challenging, and there are times we want to pull out our hair, we remember the blessing she is. I can imagine then to some degree what Sarah and Abraham must have experienced. They are filled with joy and now they get to see their son grow up. It’s incredible to see Thea grow. She is growing far quicker than I could imagine. She’s at a stage now that she is standing, furniture walking and trying to scale the baby gates. I love her spunk, determination and giggles. I can only imagine what I will see as she continues to grow. Abraham and Sarah see their son Isaac grow up from a baby, to a toddler, to a young child, to a teenager. And then God calls Abraham to do something that for us seems outrageous. "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you". (Genesis 22:2) If you skip to the end of the story, you will discover that God didn't intend for Abraham to carry through the whole way. He is against human sacrifice. Something greater is taking place. But we will get to that shortly. Was Abraham privy to this? No. So, could you imagine what Abraham must have experienced at this moment? His heart must have sank. Yet, Abraham obeys God. He wakes up early, prepares the wood, saddles the donkey and brings Isaac and two others to go to Moriah. They travel for three days. That must have been the longest three days of Abraham’s life. But notice his faith. "Then Abraham said to his young men, 'Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.'" (Genesis 22:5) Abraham is convinced that somehow God would provide and make a way for both of them to return. And they head out. Along the way, Isaac realizes that they have the wood and fire but they don't have a sacrifice. Notice again Abraham's faith. "Abraham said, 'God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.'" (Genesis 22:8) Abraham is convinced that God would provide. And he continues on the way. On the mountain he builds an altar, lays down the wood, and places Isaac on the altar. Isaac doesn't fight and try to flee. I imagine at this point Abraham is wondering whether God would provide. As Abraham plunges the knife towards his son, God calls to him to stop, for he has provided a substitute. A ram caught in the thicket by his horns. Abraham takes the provision and Isaac is spared. And Abraham calls the name of that place.. . “The Lord will provide” (Genesis 22:14) The question we started with was, “Is there someone who can provide for our need even when we are unable to?” The answer is yes. God can and does provide. He is Yahweh Jireh - the God who provides. When we think of the word “provision” we often think “the action of providing or supplying something”. However, if you look of the etymology of the word you will discover that it carries the meaning of “providing beforehand” or “the action of arranging in advance”. It’s not simply that God provides, but he arranges in advance what we need. In this case, a substitute sacrifice. How is he able to do this? Simply put, he sees our need before we need it. And he gives us what we need when we need it. So trust God and wait for His timing. Here's the thing though. It is one thing to know that he can meet our needs, its another thing to know that he cares enough to meet our need. Does he truly care? Yes. "Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you" (1 Peter 5:7) How can I know that he truly cares about me? I mentioned earlier that there is something greater happening in this story. It's not merely a testing but a foreshadowing. On this same mountain, God would meet our greatest need - salvation. And he did that by providing the lamb that takes away our sin - Jesus. As the ram takes Isaac's place, Jesus takes our place. He dies for us. There is no greater love than this. So, does God care? Yes, and the cross proves it. Since he met our greatest need, we know he will meet our lesser needs. But we sometimes wonder what needs he would meet. Is it the more significant things? What about minor needs? Hear these words... "And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19) For those who have responded in faith to Jesus, God has taken it upon himself to preserve and provide for us. And He has at his disposal all that we need to get through this current crisis. So, turn to him in faith and cast all your concerns upon him, for he cares for you.
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