Our Provider

Last Tuesday, I had the privilege of attending a missions service with other pastors from other Assemblies of God churches here in Michigan. It was a great celebration of missions and missionaries. A young couple and their two boys, along with another young man were commissioned even to go. God has called them to places that you and I couldn’t even pronounce, let alone find on a globe ... and they’re going for it – they’re going to answer His call and go! They are modern day heroes of the faith ... no doubt about it!

That night, the rest of us were challenged with the task of removing the financial mountain that stands between the missionary and their mission field. Any missionary will tell you that’s one big mountain ... any pastor will tell you, that’s one tough mountain to even budge. Last Tuesday, we were left with the simple mandate: “Make it happen! No excuses!”

It’s an odd time to be thinking about giving to anything, isn’t it? You know, here in Michigan and even throughout all of America, the economy is pretty much in a mess. People way smarter than me are doing their best to figure it out ... but so far to little avail. I guess you know things are pretty bad when the financial experts can’t seem to fix the financial crisis ... after all, if they can’t do it, then who can? No wonder then that everyone seems to be so afraid ... afraid of what’s going to happen with the job, afraid of what’s going to happen to the bank account, afraid of what’s going to happen to the portfolio of 401K’s and mutual funds. Everyone everywhere seems to be so afraid, and well they should be ... or ... maybe not!

In Genesis 22, Abraham has a new revelation of who God is and what God does. It all unfolds in the context of Abraham being commanded to offer his son as an offering to the Lord. On the way to the mountain where this sacrifice is to take place, Isaac begins to deduce that something isn't quite right - they're going to worship the Lord, they’re going to offer a sacrifice to Him ... but there is no sacrifice. When he asks his dad about it, Abraham simply tells his son, “God will provide” ... and that’s exactly what He does. You see, before God put Abraham on that mountain and Isaac on the altar, He had put a ram up there ... just for them. Abraham will raise the knife to slay his son, but before he can plunge it into Isaac’s heart, God will speak to his ... “Abraham, let me provide.” On this day, Abraham learns that this is what God does – He provides ... He always provides! And before he’ll leave that mountain top, Abraham will do his best to make sure he’ll never forget that and everyone else will know it for themselves ... he does so by naming the place, “The Lord Will Provide.”

Do you see, then? Regardless of the economic condition or forecast, fear need not be an option ... because God is our provider. I’m so glad that Abraham discovered that to be true ... I think I’m even more glad that I can know it to be true for my life right now, today! And in fact, never mind just knowing it, I can live life differently because of it. In the face of uncertainty, I can be bold and courageous. At the bottom of the downturn, I can live life free from worry and full of peace and joy. In the midst of insufficiency, I can experience the blessing of abundance. In spite of volatility and instability and unpredictability, I can be a cheerful giver ... even better, I can be extravagantly generous.

And why all that? Because God is my provider! Abraham’s story tells me this: wherever I am, wherever I go, whatever adversity I find myself in, God’s already been there ... and in that place then, left for me exactly all that I would need. Because that’s true, this then is true ... my greatest need is destined to become just another opportunity for me to name one more mountain: The Lord Will Provide!

Believe that, today! And oh by the way, if you happen to come across a missionary or by chance be given an opportunity to give to missions ... why not go ahead and put that belief into practice!