Genesis 22:14-15;18, “Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the LORD will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed – all because you have obeyed me.”
Abraham was not a perfect man, as we see in the book of Genesis. But Scripture clearly shows us God’s mercy, holiness, omnipotence (God is Sovereign), omniscience (God never faces any of the limitations we face), and omnipresence all throughout the life of Abraham. He listened to God’s instructions and obeyed Him, steadfast in his faith in God’s character.
God provided a substitute for one of the most difficult assignments, which was a test to deepen Abraham’s capacity to obey God and to develop his character: offering Isaac as a sacrifice. All because of Abraham’s trust and obedience in complying with God’s instructions, God provided a substitute for Isaac, a ram, as Christ was offered as a substitute for us on the cross, whereas God did not spare His own son, Jesus, from dying on the cross for us. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
As you go about your day, when hit with stressful challenges, and feeling you need wisdom to carry out whatever is seemingly impossible being required of you, remember Gen. 22:8 and Gen. 22:14, where Abraham tells Isaac “the LORD will provide,” and names the mountain, Yahweh-Yireh in verse 14, Yahweh-Yireh (which means, “the LORD will provide”) NLT. The KJV uses the word Jehovah Jireh, which translates to, “The Lord will provide.” How will He provide? All because God can do anything consistent with His desires as God, He will provide if you have asked Him to. The point is, God is omnipresent -He is always present everywhere and is always there for us. All because He is God, just as He was with Abraham in Genesis 22 with His son, Isaac. God will be with us, and our responsibility is to do what God wants from us – to have faith and trust that He will work out everything for our good (Rom. 8:28). Abraham believed that God was sufficient for all of his needs, no matter how big or small they might be, so we must as well.
So don’t get discouraged. The trials we all go through are part of the process of sanctification in our lives, bringing us opportunities to see God’s character, expose any sin in our lives, grow in our faith, and trust in God no matter what, all because Christ died on the cross to save us from our sins and give us eternal life. That is living the cross-centered life.
Now look at what we learn from Abraham’s oldest servant, who was given the job of finding Isaac a wife, from Abraham’s homeland. This man asked Abraham, “What if I can’t find a young woman who would be willing to go back with me?” Abraham’s response was, “The LORD in whose presence I lived, will send his angel with you and will make your mission successful.” Gen. 24:39,40a. Again, all because of God’s character, what God has done for you in the past, He will do for you again, all because He is the great I AM – Yahweh-Yireh, Jehovah Jireh, which signified God’s provision and foresight in the life of Abraham.
Listen to Matthew West – Good (Lyric Video)