Yahweh Yireh Will Provide For Your Needs

“So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide [Yahweh Yireh]. And to this day it is said, ‘On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.’” (Genesis 22:14, NIV)

“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19, NIV)

My husband Gene and I were volunteering with a faith-based organization in Nepal when I gave birth to our eldest daughter there. The attending doctor immediately diagnosed Stephanie with massive hydrocephalus—too much cerebral fluid in the brain.

Stephanie needed a shunt to drain the fluid into her abdominal cavity, but the rural hospital wasn’t equipped to deal with this type of surgery. This led to an emergency return to the United States three days later.

Our unexpected return to North America thrust us into a perfect storm. As volunteers, we’d depended on financial donations to cover living expenses while overseas. We’d earned a whopping $70 per month; thus, we had no savings. And, unbeknownst to us, our sending agency had made recent decisions that left us without health care insurance.

Stephanie’s surgery and extended stay in a neo-natal intensive care unit presented us with insurmountable medical bills. Gene and I prayed for provision and asked for a miracle.

One morning at the hospital, we found a note taped to Stephanie’s isolette. It said that her conditions qualified for financial assistance through a state-run program. We applied, and the program covered our daughter’s expenses for one year.

Stephanie underwent several surgeries and suffered a bout with meningitis during that time. The bills would have bankrupt us, but Yahweh Yireh saw to it that this program met our needs until Gene’s employer provided insurance coverage.

Interestingly, we faced a one-month gap between the end of the state funding and the start of insurance coverage. During that month, Stephanie had no medical procedures, hence, no bills.

One of God’s Hebrew names is Yahweh Yireh, which means “the Lord will provide.” The root for Yireh means “to see, look at, inspect, perceive, and consider.” So, God does more than meet our needs. He sees them in advance, even before we see them, and He does whatever’s necessary to ensure they’re met. He perceives the best way and the best time to do so.

Abraham experienced God’s provision when he set out to obey His command to sacrifice Isaac, his only son through whom God’s promise to bless him with countless descendants would be fulfilled. At the exact moment Abraham raised the knife, he looked up and saw a ram caught in a thicket—God’s “midnight hour” provision. So Abraham called that place “the LORD will provide.”

In biblical times, people often experienced God in significant ways during a crisis. The same is true today. Thankfully, we can find courage by recalling Bible stories and learning from the lessons they provide. Abraham’s story reminds us that God is faithful to provide because of who He is – Yahweh Yireh.

When we face a crisis, let’s trust God to provide because of who He is. But let’s be wise, too, and remember that He meets our honest-to-goodness needs, not necessarily our wants or the things we feel we deserve.

Second, let’s remember that our crisis is no surprise to God. He knows our needs in advance and puts our provision in place neither a minute too soon nor a second too late. He’s got this.

Third, let’s remember that trusting God to provide also means we do our part. In my story, for instance, Gene found a job that eventually led to insurance coverage.

Yahweh Yireh will provide our material necessities as well as wisdom, strength, patience, perseverance, and more. Whatever our situation requires, we need not panic. God will come through, even if it’s at the midnight hour, and often in an unexpected way.

Pray:

“Yahweh Yireh, thank You for being trustworthy. Help us not be afraid when facing a crisis but to call on You, do our part, and trust You to come through and supply our needs in the best way and time. In Jesus’ name, amen.”