Jehovah Jireh our Provider

Two things I ask of you, O Lord; do not refuse me before I die; keep falsehood and lies far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or I may become poor and steal and so dishonor the name of my God. Psalms 30:8-9

As I watched the News reporting the death of Michael Jackson, I felt such sorrow for him because I knew there had been no joy in his life. Of course he had moments of happiness but he did not live in a state of joy. He was a gentle man and very much misunderstood by most people. He regretted the fact that he missed having a normal childhood and although he was loved by so many people, he didn't live in peace. We also heard of the death of Farrah Fawcett who died from cancer and had traveled all over the world looking for a cure to be healed. Farrah spent much money trying to stay alive. Both of these people had much wealth but money could not bring contentment. That old saying, “money can’t make you happy” is true as we have seen with not only his life but in the lives of so many others. My prayers of comfort are with their families.

Apostle Paul wrote, in whatever state he finds himself in he has learned to be content. He was in prison when he wrote these words. He was content because he knew his God. He wasn't content to be in prison; for it didn't matter where he was or what the circumstances he found himself in, he lived in a place of joy and contentment. Those who are saturated with the Holy Spirit live in a perpetual state of joy because this is the fruit of the Spirit. Happiness depends on a person's circumstances but joy is the fruit that remains inspite of one's circumstances.

In the Book of Psalms, the psalmist summed it all up when he asked God to keep him from lying and to make him neither rich nor poor. He understood that there was temptation to sin where there is great wealth or poverty. Wealth can cause a person to forget God and poverty or great lack can tempt a person to steal. The scripture simply states that God's provisions are supplied daily. When Jesus disciples asked him to teach them to pray in what is known as the “Lord’s Prayer,” he told his disciples to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” God’s daily provision is sufficient for us and the awesome revelation about daily provision is that God said He would give us exceedingly and abundantly more than we can even ask or think. In other words, God will give us our desires. Desire is not coveting. God places desire in our hearts and then in his timing, fulfills these desires. He gets the glory for satisfying our mouths with good things. Living on God’s promises of provision causes us to walk in peace (the Hebrew word for peace is shalom which means: nothing missing, nothing broken; wholeness) knowing that our finances are not relegated by the dictates of the world's economy but by the Kingdom of God. Many Believers quote the scripture that says, God owns the cattle on a thousand hills, but the truth is, He owns the hills and the entire universe. Why should we worry when we are hedged by Jehovah Jireh? Praise God! Father, give us our provision for this day and unspeakable joy to be blessed and to be a blessing.
Cynthia Brooks