Sunday, June 13: Are you the provider for your family?

Not so many generations ago, the man of the house was the only wage earner. Typically, the woman of the house remained at home, taking care of the children and the household. In the United States, this began to change during World War I. With their husbands overseas, many women had to work outside the home to make ends meet for their families, and the war effort created many jobs in manufacturing. The number of women in the workplace has continued to increase, and consequently, motherhood has become less of a priority. Currently, with a rise in the cost of living, providing for a family seems to require two salaries, rather than one. In 2010, for the first, time women outnumber men in the U.S. workforce!


All of these factors have greatly increased the pressure on a new father, who sees the extra mouth to feed with accelerated challenges. Not only are the daily costs greater, but the potential for future health care and education adds to that burden. As Christians, we should be aware of these challenges but should not let them overwhelm us, in any way. With unemployment increasing around the globe, sometimes we need to remember, who is the real provider?

In Genesis, God tells Abraham to take Isaac to Mt. Moriah and offer his son as a burnt offering. This may seem like a strange request, but the Lord always has ample reasons. Abraham was a man of faith and knew that God already had promised him that He would multiply the descendants of Isaac exceedingly. Having already performed a miracle by having the 100-year-old Abraham father a child with the 90-year old Sarah, Abraham knew that God would perform another miracle here. With prior knowledge of God’s loving hand, Abraham obeyed. At the last moment, God provided a substitute sacrifice:


13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided.”
Genesis 22:13-14


Here, we see one of the redemptive names of God in the Old Testament, Jehovah-Jireh. The event carried huge, prophetic significance for it pointed to another Father who would sacrifice His Son on the same spot. God’s Holy City of Jerusalem is known for its ridge system, with Mt. Moriah, Mt. Zion and the Mount of Olives being the three highest peaks. Jesus was crucified outside the city, on Mt. Moriah. Notice that in the Genesis account, Isaac carried the wood up the mountain, just as Jesus carried His own cross. Instead of Isaac, a ram (a male lamb) was killed. Years later on Calvary, the Lamb of God would die and take away the sins of the world. My guess is that Isaac was 33-years-old, the same age as Jesus, though most people wrongly think of Isaac as a little boy.


If God provided a sacrifice for His servant Abraham, isn’t it a simple task for Him to supply the needs of His people, in regards to food, shelter, medical expenses and any other potential requirements? Though we are called to work and pay for our food through the “sweat of our face” in Genesis 3:19, don’t ever forget who the Great Provider really is! If you feel like your back is up against the wall, know that the God who created you loves you so much that He cares for your every need. Just as He did with Job, sometimes the Lord puts us in extremely difficult circumstances to draw us closer to Him. If you are struggling, know that He is with you, if you only will turn to Him:


8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
James 4:8-10