Jehovah Jireh: The Lord my provider

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13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen. (Genesis 22:13-14)

This is well-covered territory for most Christians, but God is a good God. More than that, God is a good Father. We are his children. As a good Father, the Lord knows he must take care of us. 

I reiterate this as a reminder to myself and anyone else out there that needs to hear it again. 

My family and I are in a battle. We are on a journey. But, in this journey, we have enemies. 

Some of the enemies are our circumstances. I'm jobless. I'm 54. I'm on unemployment. Most businesses in this day and age have no interest in hiring a man my age. 

First of all, a man my age needs a larger salary than a 22-year-old just out of college. I have established bills and a family to care for. Companies can pay the young college grad (I'm a recent college grad myself) far less than what they would pay me.

Secondly,

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/intentional-insights/202003/why-you-should-hire-women-over-men-according-science

https://disasteravoidanceexperts.com/why-you-should-hire-women-over-men-according-to-science/

That's just 2 examples of the narrative that our society is pushing. Supposedly, 2020 has been declared the year of the woman. So employers are actively searching for reasons and ways to hire women over men. 

Both of these, plus the Covid-19 economic mess has made it extremely difficult for me to find a job. Even looking for a job is more difficult now for us older folks. In my youth, you went to the place you wanted to work at, filled out the application, talked with the manager (many times before you left) and you at least left with an interview set up. 

Now, companies get offended if you look for a job that way. "Can't you go to our website and apply like everyone else? We don't do applications in house." So, we're left with the cold, and impersonal cyber world. We go to the job sites, linked in, and company websites. But, usually, we don't even get a "thank you for applying" email. 

It's very frustrating and disheartening.

Other enemies include the devil (who hates all Christians) and even some brothers and sisters in the Lord who do not like the way that we live or believe. 

These folks actively send curses our way (not from God) by praying for us to fall flat on our faces. Supposedly, in their minds, if we fail, then it negates the scriptures that we live by and they are not responsible to line up with God's word in that department. 

But, "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over." (Psalms 23:5)

Take heart! 

God says that when we are surrounded by enemies because we are his child, he will provide for us! He'll even give us a glorious picnic for us to eat while our enemy is kept at bay. All they can do is sit back and watch us eat it! 

Hallelujah!!!

Also, in the process, the Lord will refresh our anointing and fill us to the point of running over again! 

I'm not there quite yet, but he is providing for us. I know the refreshing is coming though- because he said so.

The enemy of our souls whispers, "you're going to lose everything. All is lost. You're God has abandoned you. You're going down this time." He tries to fill our minds with images of our pets and children starving, and we're homeless- having no way or place to go. 

But, just like when Abraham was asked to sacrifice Isaac, if we will willingly say, "thy will be done," the long trek up the mountain will be worth it all. The Lord will make a way where there seems to be no way. 

Abraham and Isaac climbed that mountain. Isaac was willing to be strapped onto the altar of sacrifice. Abraham was willing to strap him in and lift the knife. 

Then God spoke.

There will come a time when God will look at our willingly offered sacrifice and speak deliverance into both my situations and yours. 

When he does, we, like Abraham, will once again call him, Jehovah-Jireh- The Lord my provider.

Until then, let's just hold on to him and enjoy our picnic. Let the enemy watch us eat every bite. Because one day, victory will be ours because the Lord will free us!

Psalms 23 through the eyes of a Father

23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

The heart of a Father is a curious thing. It can take you to tremendous heights and plunge you to astonishing depths. Since God is the only perfect Father, it may be instructive to learn what he thinks that the job entails. 

Verse 1: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

The term used for Lord in this verse is Yehovah. It means, the self existing one, the one true God. Just as God is true, we, as Fathers, need to be true. We need to speak the truth. We need to live the truth. 

What is true, in a fatherly sense? 

We need to be a storehouse of wisdom that our families can go to for answers and help. They also need to know that we will be truthful in our answers to them, irregardless of whether or not it puts us in a bad light (our pasts can be pretty ugly). They need to know that we will tell them the truth, even if the truth hurts their feelings. I'm not advocating emotional brutality. We can speak the truth in a gentle manner. But, as fathers, we need to be men of truth.

Another meaning of the word true is to be faithful and dedicated. Our families need to know that dad is faithful to God, mom, and the children. They need to know that we have given our heart and dedicated our lives to them. They need to see us as a servant leader who will be there for them till death do us part. 

That means that we put their needs above our own. We must value their lives above our own. We must understand that God has given us a precious gift in our wives and children. We need to treat them as precious, love them as precious, and handle them well. The way we love and treat them is our gift back to the God who gave them to us.

And God takes this seriously. He may want us to lead others in some capacity (preacher, teacher, evangelist, prophet, bishop, deacon, etc). But, he can't allow us to walk in those callings unless we rule our own houses well. 

Because we love our families, we need to provide for them. We should work hard to provide for their physical needs. And we should work even harder to provide for their emotional needs. 

Going to work and earning a paycheck isn't all we're called to do. If we don't take the time with our wives and children to show them that we are concerned for their emotional well being, that we want to know who they are, and are willing to help them to become who GOD wants them to be, we are poor fathers.

Our homes need to be a safe haven for our families. A place where they know they can be who God is making them to be. A place where they know that, even when they fail, we will be there to help them get back up again. Our love needs to go beyond what they do right and correcting their wrongs. It needs to be a soothing balm that wraps it's arms around them when they need to cry out their hurt. They need to know that daddy's never too tired for them and they're never an inconvenience to us.

Our sons shouldn't have to go to the world for a father figure and role model. Our daughters shouldn't feel they need to give in to the whispers of worldly boys in order to feel loved and accepted. If they feel loved, needed and respected at home, the world won't have as much pull over them. 

The best thing we can do for them is to love God above all. They need to see our faith lived out in our homes. Ultimately, the God they choose to serve will be a direct result of what they see lived out in front of them day in, and day out in our home. 

verse 2: He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 

We need to make our homes and families a place of rest and healing. When they try to get too busy, we need to make them stop being so busy. We need to make time for family time. Not just games, but talks and walks, laughter and love. 

Our families need to be led. We need to LEAD our families in the ways of God and life. If we leave them to find God on their own, the chances are high that they will find false gods instead. We can't be afraid of offending them. We can't put it off for another day, or assume that they know what we know just because we live under the same roof. We must be proactive in our leading them. We need to do our best to teach them the things of God and help them to find the spiritual oasis that only Jesus can provide. 

verse 3: He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

There is a false teaching out there that says that we cannot be friends with our children. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are Jesus' children. So were the Apostles. They stayed with him, day in and day out, for 3 1/2 years. For this to happen- and for Jesus to effectively teach them, they had to be friends. They didn't keep separate camping spots, eat separate food, and only speak when they were spoken to. 

If our children cannot be our friends, then they won't see God as their friend and they won't develop a relationship with him. EVERY relationship begins with friendship. It cannot progress to something deeper if we don't start as friends. 

As friends, we share our secrets- good and bad. We help each other- in easy times and hard times.

Our families need to be allowed to see our weakness. When we fail, we do not help the by hiding it. They need to see us on our knees- seeking forgiveness and answers.They need to see us study the scriptures and be taught how to do it for themselves. They need to hear daddy pray and be encouraged to pray for themselves. 

As daddy's we have to lead them in the ways of God's righteousness. We don't allow them to watch and read just anything. We cannot allow them to hang out with ungodly friends and family. We must not allow them to dress in ways that God is against. We are to guard the gate for our family. Sometimes guards have to correct- even though it won't be popular. They may not like it at that time (and you won't either), but they will thank you later.

And it's all for the glory of JESUS name. Remember, HE'S the center of our home- not us. 

verse 4: Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Even when the hard times come and we have no answer to give nor clear path to show, they must see our steadfast faith in the deliverer- Jesus Christ. Our attitudes must be like the Hebrew children in Daniel: Our God is well able to deliver us, but if he doesn't, we still will not bow. 

We must show that we know that God is with us, even though we don't know where he is. Even when the circumstances of our lives would seem to indicate that he's not.

We must demonstrate in life our trust in God's protection and correction. We must be willing to protect our families at all times. We don't push our wives and children in front of us to shield ourselves. In fact, we should be their shield. We must be willing to fight to protect them.  

Verse 5: Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

When our family feels that the whole world is against us, we still must try to make our homes a place of provision and restoration for them. Living for God is not easy, regardless of what the prosperity preachers say. The word says that ALL those who will live godly in Christ Jesus SHALL suffer persecution. Our homes need to be a safe haven of restoration and healing to recover from the wounds of the war. 

Make no mistake: we are in a war. The world persecuted and crucified Jesus. 11 of the first 12 Apostles were martyred for their faith. Millions more have been killed and tortured for Jesus. If we are not facing persecution for our faith, then we need to find out where we left Jesus at and return.

When the kids are grown and circumstances turn against them, they must know that our arms and homes are always open to them. We may not condone their actions that may have led them there. But, we still love them and will help them get out of the mess.

We need to anoint them and pray over them from the day they're born. They must become familiar with the presence of God, so that when they are older, the false gods of the world will not be able to draw them away. 

They need to see and feel our love. Their emotional cups need to be so filled with love that it overflows into their own families- for they learned how to love from us.

 Verse 6: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

We set the tone in our homes. If they are raised in an environment of love and mercy, they will set the same tones in their own homes. They need to be raised in a loving environment. One that says, "I love you even when you're hurt- even when you mess up." This way, we pass the legacy on and we will have a much greater chance of all of us dwelling in the house of the Lord forever.

For Taylor. You will be missed.

Proverbs 17:17
A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. 

                                 Feb, 11, 2004 to May 28, 2014

Sometimes there are those souls that come into your life that make a profound impact. In 2003, there was a beautiful little girl named Taylor that had a huge impact on many lives by her heart and love for Jesus. She died of cancer at a young age. Her death impacted our family. 

In 2004, we moved to Texas for my first pastorate. My daughter, Heather, was feeling very down. Della and I prayed about how to comfort her. 

Soon, we saw an ad in the paper from a veterinarian. It seems she had a brood of puppies to give away for free. Someone had left them on her clinic doorstep. So, she doctored them up and gave them away. Della (my wife), showed me the ad. 

So, a couple of days later, I found myself at the clinic looking at puppies. They were all beautiful, but which one should I get? I prayed and asked the Lord to have the one he wanted for Heather to come to me. So, I stooped down within a few feet of them. I didn't reach out. I just waited.

Soon, this little black pup came shyly up to me and licked my hand. I chose her. I remember she was about the size of half my forearm and hand. She was a loving little thing. I took her home. We thought she was just for Heather. It turned out she was for all of us.

The girls named her Taylor in honor of the little girl in Mississippi that had died of cancer. From the start, she was a joy. My daughter, Erica, had a large Pooh Bear. Taylor was MUCH smaller than that stuffed animal. But, somehow she managed to drag that thing around- much to Erica's dismay.

Heather reminded me of Taylor's first birthday. Heather had made a cake for all of us (including Taylor). She bent down and was holding the cake between her and Taylor so Della could take a picture. About the time the camera flashed, Taylor was licking icing off the side of the cake.

Erica reminded me of how Taylor had her first set of pups- ten of them! When the pups grew a little, there was one that Taylor was especially fond of- Tony. Erica gave Taylor a boiled egg (no shell on it) and she took off running around the yard, with her pups chasing. She dropped the egg on the ground in such a way that Tony was the first to get to it. You could almost see her smile.

One of my favorite memories is when she was a pup. There was a picnic table there. The light from the back porch would shine across her, when she stood on the table. The shadow was cast on the large tree nearby. And Taylor would see the motion of her wagging tail and bark at her own shadow. We got many a laugh out of that.

She was a very good momma. In fact, when we gave away all but three of them, she spent days looking around the yard for her missing brood. 

She enjoyed playing with me, as well. Sometimes, when we were in the first home she lived in with us, I would come home to find the "gifts" the potty training Taylor had left for grandpa in his office. This made the girls howl with laughter at my agitation.

But, there were also other times. Like when I left for work early in the morning. Many times, she would act as the guardian of the house. We lived in some rough areas at times, and her growl ran off many an intruder. 

She was also very sensitive. And she LOVED the Holy Ghost. She enjoyed many a prayer session with her grandma Della. Because of this, she was especially close to Della (and vice-versa). When times were hard, and Della needed a listening ear, or a good hug, Taylor was there. Sometimes, Taylor would sense grandma's heartache and would show up to be with her- even after she lost her sight.

Recently, Heather (who's married now) had our granddaughter Ella. When Aaron (her marine husband) had to be gone overnight, Taylor would lay at Heather's bedroom door as if to protect her and Ella. 

About a year ago, Taylor was bitten twice by a moccasin. The venom took it's toll. It damaged her insides and caused her to go blind. She lost a lot of weight. Finally, she developed cancer and we had to put her down. 

There has never been a better friend to a family than Taylor. Truly, as the passage in Proverbs above says, she loved at all times. Sick or healthy, with plenty or little. She loved us all and would've given her life to protect us all. Some might say, "Well, you can always get another dog." But, those that say that didn't know Taylor. 

You can replace a dog. You cannot replace part of your family. We love you, Taylor. And, if there are dogs in heaven (and there's no scripture that says there ain't), we have no doubt that you're there- playing with our son, Samuel, who died before he was born, and kissing Jesus. We look forward to seeing you when we get there.

Love is an action word.

1 Corinthians 13

King James Version (KJV)

13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

The word, charity, here- that most of us understand as "love", actually means: affection, good will, love, benevolence, brotherly love, a love feast.

We live in a society that has flip-flopped things around to make them mean something they do not. They have changed the word "Gay" from meaning "happy", to mean, "homosexual." As if changing that definition somehow makes that ungodly life style somehow godly and acceptable. Now, they call "hate" disagreeing with their sin and "love" agreeing with their sin.

Many of them will point to this very chapter when we disagree with their lifestyles and say, "Aren't you supposed to love me if you're a Christian? Why you hatin on me then?"

What they ignore is first of all, true love "rejoiceth NOT in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth." If I love you, I cannot lie to you and say your sin is ok. I am constrained by my "brotherly love" for you, to warn you against your sin and the eternal consequences that it can bring you.

However, I want to bring this to a more personal level. When we truly love our friends, and especially, our spouses and children, we are constrained to act on their behalf- regardless of whether or not we "feel like" doing it. 

To bring the point home a little more, scripture says: "God so loved the world that he gave..." God loved us so much, than when he looked and saw our sin and our need of salvation, he acted! HE became a son, put on human flesh for us, suffered at our hand, and died for us- all so that he could "reconcile the world unto himself."

Did his flesh want to do this? No. A quick look at the prayers in the garden of Gethsemane will show you that the flesh didn't want to suffer. But, he did it anyway. Why? LOVE! He knew it had to be done and he knew he was the only one who could do it. So, he took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and endured the suffering of the cross. All because he loved us.

There are times, in our walk with Christ, that he allows us things that please us. But, our whole life is not to be about our own pleasure. Love "seeketh not her own." Life is not about "me." Life is about serving others. If we husbands truly love our spouses, we won't mind serving them. We are the heads of our homes, but Jesus said "He that will be greatest among you will be the least." 
Another verse says that we are to "esteem others as better than ourselves."

In other words, serving our spouses is what qualifies us to be the heads of our homes. If we sit around and expect our wives and families to serve us, then we are esteeming ourselves as better and higher than them. Why do we fuss and grumble about taking out the trash, cleaning up after ourselves, and cleaning the car? Our flesh may not enjoy those activities, but if we love our families, we will do things that please and show them they are loved by us. 

We gripe and complain when our families don't respect us as the head of our homes. But, if we will do for them, then they won't mind doing for us. When we love our families, we don't look at doing what they like (and we don't like doing) as a chore. Rather, we think about the smile on their faces and the joy they will feel when we are willing to do what pleases them. 

We don't spend time with them in front of a TV or computer. They need face to face time. We don't dominate the conversation with only what interests us, we listen to what interests them, even when we aren't interested. 

Scripture commands us to love our wives EVEN AS CHRIST LOVE THE CHURCH AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR IT. We must learn to die to our own wants in favor of our wives and children's needs. If I love my family, I am willing to work as hard as is necessary to take care of their needs. 

I'm thankful that the Lord has let me see my own lack of love towards my family. If this has helped you see yours, why don't you join me in turning over a new leaf. Let our actions, and not just our words, speak love to our families. No more being lazy around the house. No more hour upon hour of fleshly entertainment- at their expense. No more grumbling about chores. Let's just smile, love them, and do what is needed to prove it.