The passage we will read below is for everyone who knows what it is to walk with God with no provision and no sign of provision, just a raw and straightforward faith that God is in control of everything. All that may be in your hands right now is what you are being asked to give away. Your time, energy levels, finances, the pain and heartache of a situation, these are your experiences, and God is silent. The hope of provision only exists in your heart, and you now know that faith hurts, at times, it costs us everything.
“Abraham looked up, and there in a thicket he saw a ramcaught by its horns. He went over, took the ram, and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” 15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspringall nations on earth will be blessed,because you have obeyed me.” 19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba.” (Genesis 22 v 13-19)
There are times in our lives when we have to scale a mountain-sized experience that we have never travelled before. I could list several examples and then even miss the one you are experiencing right now; there are that many. The walk of faith is different for us all, but one thing is the same: it is a walk of difficulty.
Abraham and Isaac had walked three days carrying the wood. They had built the altar. Abraham had placed Isaac bound on the altar. The knife was raised.
Where was the ram? When had God provided the substitute?
Only after the knife was raised.
We can all scale mountains carrying the provisions of God with us. Anyone can do this. But there are moments in our lives when the ram doesn’t appear in the first chapter or the middle chapter, but in the end of the story, the final moment, when God steps in. It could be the final minute of the eleventh hour when we hear a call from heaven, look up and see the provision of God for our life.
If Jehovah Jireh had appeared at any time before this final second, Abraham would have been spared the time, energy, grief, confusion, and perhaps several emotions that we would totally understand. Faith has to travel through all those experiences to arrive at the provision.
Often, we want the provision without the mountain, and we certainly wish to have it as we journey on it.
The blessing to Abraham came after he was willing to sacrifice the promise of the blessing. Faith is sometimes not about venturing into a new season but letting go of what God has given you in the last season. Not withholding what is in your hand is faith, and this releases what is in God’s hand.
Faith is not always victoriously loud; it is sometimes quietly hurting you as you wait for God’s provision. But faith will see it if you remain confident in God. Hang in there!
Missions Paul 