God provides all my needs

Continuing on my series on the Names of God,  besides being my Divine Warrior, Abba Father delights to provide all my needs for my walk with Him.

Four of His Names show this conclusively - Jehovah Jireh, Raah, Rapha and Shammah.

He is Jehovah Jireh, my Provider.

This name was first used by Abraham when he was on the mountain to present Isaac as an offering to God. God asked Abraham to do so. He demanded it. Abraham obeyed. This account can be found in Gen 22:1-14.

Despite Isaac being the only legitimate son born to him at a very advanced age, Abraham had no qualms about obeying God. He probably reckoned that if God had promised to make him a father of all nations, He could take Isaac's life and still resurrect him. How great faith in God Abraham had! No wonder God was pleased with him.

Jehovah Jireh shows God's loving heart towards us. He used a ram to replace Isaac on the altar, just as Abraham was about to plunge his knife into him.

In the same way, Abba Father makes Jesus as our sacrificial replacement. We are the ones who ought to be killed but Jesus took our place.

He is indeed, Jehoval Jireh, my Provider.

He is also Jehovah Raah, my Shepherd.

Jesus leads us into peace and joy in fellowship with Abba Father, in His pasture with green grass and still waters. He protects and cares for us. We are like sheep, stubborn and must be led through dangerous valleys and from or predator. Read Psalm 23 to digest this. Also check out my sharing on Psalm 23 in this blog.

Next, He is Jehovah Rapha, my Healer.

This name was revealed at Marah (Exodus 15:22-27) where the Israelite's jubilation turned into frustration due to dehydration. The water at Marah was bitter. But bitter experiences in life test man's trust in God.

It was at Marah where God gave the condition that if His people were to obey Him, He will not bring about any of the dreaded diseases that plagued the Egyptians.

He heals not only physical ailments but also emotional and spiritual diseases. Call to Jehovah Rapha, He heals.

And finally, He is Jehovah Shammah, the Lord who is present with us.

Psalm 139:7-9 express this aptly .... Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? ... Indeed, the Lord is with me all the time and at all times. 

Knowing that He is with me always gives me confidence to trust Him regardless of how I feel. He never leaves me nor will he ever forsake me, He is my very present help in times of trouble.

My God is Jehovah Jireh, Raah, Rapha and Shammah. He provides all my needs for our walk with Him. Hallelujah!

God bless.

Steven

God's goodness to me

Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever. 

Psalm 23:6

David ends this psalm by proclaiming God's goodness over himself, reflecting an unwavering faith in his relationship with Him.

Indeed, God's goodness and love will always be with those who have chosen to be His children. I have been in this relationship with  when I was 14, God has demonstrated, over and over again, His faithfulness, love and goodness to me through my life.

It was not that my life was plain sailing; storms were present to hone and build my character, shape my relationship and strengthen my faith. Over those times when I was feeling abandoned, His hands embraced me and lift me up.

I will proudly boast of His faithfulness, love and goodness, which have kept me strong as I struggled with life's challenges at home, at the workplace and even in church. Because of His great love, I am not consumed, His compassions never fail they are new every morning, hallelujah! (Lamentation 3:22-24).  

Let's read Psalm 23:6 again and chew on it. God's goodness and love will follow us all of our life. He said it, He will do it. So relax in Him and enjoy the relationship and fellowship with our loving Abba Father.

David's expression in Psalm 23 truly reflects the shepherd heart of God. We are Jesus' flock. He will do all to keep us protected, well -fed, well-rested so that we can enjoy the abundant life that He came to give. His love and goodness will pursue us all our days!

God bless.

Steven

Peace in Adversity

Psalm 23:5

You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.

Do you ever wonder what this verse actually means and how it relates to a shepherd and his sheep? It seems to be out of place in this psalm. What was David thinking when he penned those words.

Shepherds generally do not eat at the table. They are out in the pasture with their sheep. Having a table represented feasting, not just eating. David was referring to the pleasure of a proper feast, such as those he had in his palace. 

Can one enjoy a proper meal, a feast, in the presence of his enemies?

Any one who can feast in the presence of adversity or enemy is surely blessed. Only one who has peace that surpass all human understanding can eat so comfortably.

David was able to do so because his trust was in his Shepherd. It was such a deep trust that he know that his life was safe in His hands, and so he can feast in their presence.

I experienced a little of what David experienced.

My family shifted house just last week. We are shifting house the second time in our last 30 years. House moving is a life-changing event that is among the top 10 stressors in life. We had to plan months ahead, execute it during the day of actual shifting and will be spending weeks or even months to settle down in the new environment. 

For us the, the added stressor was moving into a house that has not quite been completed; this means that we have to deal with the workers who are still doing the finishing touches.

To add to the  problem, on the second night in our new house and tired from the days of packing and unpacking, I reversed my wife's car out of the garage and crashed it into a stationary truck. The back window was completely smashed. The repair costs more than $1000!

Are my wife and I stressed? Absolutely.

But by the grace of God, I am so glad and even am amazed that the both of us are able to handle the stress very well; this is unusual. Despite all that has happened, we did not get angry, lose our heads, raise our voices nor quarrel. There were many instances and circumstances that we would have done so, normally.

I am amazed that instead, my wife and I spoke words of assurance to each other, encourage one another and keep each other's spirit going. She did not even get angry at me for smashing her car! Hallelujah!

And on the part of anointing his head with oil, David was referring to what shepherds usually do; they rub oil on the sheep's head to keep the flies from irritating them (flies like to lay their eggs on the furry head of the sheep but the sheep gets completely irritated by the buzzing of these flies).

In the same way, my Good Shepherd keeps the irritations of the world from me when He anoints me with the oil of the Holy Spirit. We can choose to reject or neglect this, but it will be to our own chagrin. If we welcome the Holy Spirit's anointing, our cup will surely overflows with the wine from heaven and we can enjoy our feast.

Indeed, the Lord is my Shepherd, He gives me such peace that I can even have a feast, complete with good wine, in the presence of adversities because He continually anoints me with the oil of the Holy Spirit.

Try it!

God bless.

Steven