Nov 24 - Matthew 6:25

Jesus said

Do not worry about your life ...

Is not life more than food, and

the body more than clothing?

Matthew 6:25

Yesterday, we introduced the concept of Jehovah-Jireh (literally God-our-Provider). The theme was Jesus' call to "not worry about ... what [we] will eat or what [we] will drink, or what [we] will wear" ... or rent payments ... or finances in general. Why? Because if God provides for "the birds of the air [who] neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; and yet your heavenly Father feeds them," won't God provide for you who are "of more value than they?"

That was yesterday's point -- simply put: Trust in God ... rather than money or the things of this earth. 

"And yet," I was beginning to say, "Jesus makes a deeper, more transcendent point for those who have quit worrying about temporary earthly things and can attend to God's more eternal plan. And it starts with these words from Jesus: ‘Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?’"

What is the "more than" that Jesus is talking about? In these words we find the key to God's transcendent provision. 

Let's start with this: God is Jehovah-Jireh, Our Provider. Do you know where this name for God comes from? In Genesis 22, God tells Abraham to take his beloved son Isaac up to Mount Moriah and sacrifice him there. 

Whoa. Sounds harsh, right? Actually, it was “normal.” All the other ancient "gods" demanded human sacrifice. (And let’s be clear: Any power-or-"god"-that-is-not-GOD is Satan. And Satan did then and does now still "inspire" human sacrifice.)

So, while this was obviously a horrifically sad request, it probably wasn't utterly shocking to Abraham. But this wasn't about human sacrifice. This was about Abraham and his descendants needing to know the God-Jehovah could be trusted. That the true-GOD-who-was-not-"god" would truly and utterly and absolutely and eternally provide!

Abraham trusted. That was the test. Abraham went to the place that God showed him -- Mt. Moriah -- and just as this grieving father drew his knife, the angel of the Lord pointed Abraham to God's richer provision -- a substitutionary sacrifice, a ram, a lamb. 

They named the place: Jehovah-Jireh -- God Provides. 

But that is not the end of the story for that place in scripture! And here's where we begin to unravel Jesus' more transcendent point. But let’s stop here for today, and let me leave you with this question:

Where else does Mt. Moriah -- the place called "Jehovah Jireh" – appear in Scripture?!!

In Christ's Love,

a guy who is an NC State fan

... and we Wolfpackers wouldn't

mind any sacrificial losses for

teams mascotted by UNC's Rams!

(Is one allowed to trash talk

in a Christian devotional?!)