Genesis 22:13-14 (The Lord Will Provide)

Genesis 22:13-14

Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 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."

God has made a promise to all believers; a promise He has never broken and will never break. God promises you that He will always provide what you need. In simplest terms, The Lord will provide.

Abraham learned this on a day, when God tested his faith. God told Abraham to go to the top of a mountain and make a sacrifice to the Lord, but God did not give Abraham any animal to be carried up the mountain to be sacrificed. In the end when Abraham made it to the top of the mountain, the Lord did provide a sacrifice. You can read the whole trying account in Genesis chapter 22. It is written that "Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering...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,"" (Genesis 22:13-14).

God doesn't just provide on top of mountains. God also provides for believers in deep ravines. The prophet Elijah saw this, when he was starving in the desert. It is written, "The word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.” So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook," (1 Kings 17:2-6). Isn't that wild?

God also provides for His people way down in the depths of the ocean. When the prophet Jonah was thrown into the ocean, to save him from drowning "the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights," (Jonah 1:17). Jonah responded to the Lord's providence rejoicing and saying "In my distress I called to the Lord, and He answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and You listened to my cry," (Jonah 2:1).

Jesus preached on the Lord's providence in His Sermon on the Mount. He said to those gathered, "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" (Matthew 6:26). We are more valuable than they, because we, as believers, are God's children. We should never worry about our circumstances; no matter how great or small or significant or insignificant they seem. We must remember that we can cast all our cares on the Lord, because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). 

Jesus finished His preaching on the Lord's providence with these powerful words in Matthew chapter 6 from verse 28 to 34:

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Sources

• The Bible (New International Version)