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 [Jehovah-Jireh]. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided. (Genesis 22: 13-14 NIV)
In talking to several Tour players over the past couple of years at the Am Ex tourney in January here at PGA West, I verified what I always suspected: Tour players get “tons of freebies.”
Their lockers are stocked with golf balls, gloves, and headwear before they arrive. Equipment vans are present to tweak their equipment or provide new clubs, shafts, or grips. I like to watch the pros on the practice putting green. I always notice the vast array of available putters for them to try or even take with them to the course.
Off the course, they are provided with shoes, shirts, pants, rain gear, umbrellas, golf bags, travel bags, courtesy cars, and food. You name it, and it is probably provided free of charge. As long as they have a tour card, their needs are provided for.
In the story of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22, we are introduced to another of God’s names: Jehovah-Jireh, the first of many compound names we find in the Old Testament. God commanded Abraham to take his son, Isaac, to Mount Moriah and offer him as a sacrifice.
Just as Abraham was about to plunge a knife into Isaac, who was on the altar, an angel of the Lord intervened and told Abraham that he didn’t need to sacrifice his son.
At that moment, Abraham saw a ram caught in a thicket. He freed the ram and offered it as a sacrifice to God in place of Isaac. Because God provided another sacrifice, Abraham called the place Jehovah-Jireh, which means “The Lord Will Provide.”
There are multiple dimensions to God’s provision for us. In our daily earthly setting, God provides the necessities of daily life, like food, shelter, and clothing. However, there is more to Jehovah-Jireh than his provision of material things.
In his book, The Names of God: God’s Name Brings Hope, Healing, and Happiness, Lester Sumrall makes an interesting observation about how God provides for us in our evangelistic endeavors. He says: “The Lord will provide everything a Christian needs to tell unsaved friends about Jesus. Whether it’s something material or spiritual, obvious or hidden—the right book to loan or true insight into what that one needs to hear—regardless of what is needed, the Lord will provide it, as long as you use His provision to service Him.”
The ultimate provision God has given, and that for our eternal salvation, was the gift of his Son—to die for our sins!
In his letter to the Romans, Paul writes: “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32, NIV).
Unlike Tour players whose “freebies” will likely disappear if they lose their tour card, we can rest assured that Jehovah-Jireh knows what we need and always will provide for us.
PRAYER: Jehovah-Jireh, thank you for being the God who knows what we need and provides those things to us, whether for our daily needs or the gift of eternal life.