Monday, March 30, 2020

A Pandemic and A Provider




PANDEMIC, Coronavirus, social distance – Did you ever think you’d be using these words, in real life and within your lifetime?  I certainly didn’t.  It’s been 100 years since such a virus, such a messenger of death, has taken over our Country, our counties, our neighborhoods, and even our homes. It’s a National Emergency where, if you happen to make it outside, you’re understandably faced with other humans dressed in medical masks and gloves.  Schools are physically shut down HERE, in the United States of America.  It’s a surreal time, to say the least, a time of uncertainty and desperation. 

Change of any kind can bring fear, which easily breeds fear.  Fear can be healthy and help us focus on the true, important things in life. Fear can also be debilitating. As humans, our fears often come with questions.
·       What’s going to happen if we only have one income and I’m laid off or furloughed?
·       How am I going to feed, clothe and house my loved ones?
·       Am I doing enough to protect myself and my family from the virus?
·       What happens if I get sick OR what if my loved ones catch the virus?
Oh, My Friends, this is when FAITH comes in – a beautiful, desperate, hungry, faith in Our God!

When I was young, with my Dad being in the Ministry, we HAD to rely on God – we had the privilege of practicing faith for everything.  My parents taught us about George Mueller, a Christian Evangelist who founded (and managed) one of the largest orphanages of his time.  Mueller and his wife loved these children as if they were their own, and keenly desired to teach “faith” as a fundamental action. When George Mueller’s orphans left for adulthood, he wanted nothing more than for them to KNOW what faith in God truly was; to know how to practice it, to breathe it, to live it. 

As a child, I was amazed by the true stories of faith concerning George Mueller and one in particular continues to shine. Here’s a little background: The orphanages Mueller built and managed, were FULLY FUNDED by DONATIONS.  I’m serious.  Not only that, Mueller never sought money and didn’t advertise for funds; no billboards or commercials, no sir – he simply lived with this knowledge: God had called him to this tender ministry; he was doing his best to be faithful to that calling and because of that, he knew God would provide everything, from mattresses to pots and pans.  God was faithful and provided everything that they needed, and even more!

One evening, everyone in the orphanage came down for dinner.  They all sat down at the table, along with Mr.and Mrs. Mueller and I’m sure, some teachers and staff.  No food had been prepared because there was no food – cupboards were bare.  No steaming bowls of peas, no cold glasses of milk. Mr. Mueller offered a prayer aloud, asking God to literally provide right then and there.  Can you imagine what the teachers and staff must have been thinking, or what was going through the minds of the children? Suddenly, their local baker stopped by, telling George, he didn’t know why, but God had clearly prompted him to make extra bread for their “family”.  So, the children now had a warm piece of bread on their plates.  I can see their eyes growing bigger, even now.  A milk cart broke down in front of the orphanage around that very same time, so the milkman knocked, asking if he could donate his load of milk, as it would become sour before his wagon would be fixed.  That night, those sweet kiddos, teachers and staff had big, cold glasses of milk with warm, crusty bread.  Mueller made sure to point out – they had asked their Father to fulfill their needs and, God had provided! 

I want to make this point very clear: There is NOTHING you can say or do that will make God love you more than He does right now.  God’s gifts and provision are NOT based upon our human faith – they aren’t the sum of our good deeds, or how many times a day we pray, go to church, etc.  God’s provision, the movement of God, has NOTHING to do with the amount of faith I have.  You know why?  Because, I am a human, a fallen man who could never possibly earn God’s attention, love or provision.  THANK GOD, my own, human faith has nothing to do with the way God moves.  His goodness will never be based on MY goodness. 


“Jehovah Jireh” – Did you know, there are many names of GOD in the Old Testament?  It’s true! And each one describes a certain character quality which God possesses.  Since I was little and started hearing the stories of George Mueller, I have clung to this particular name of God: JehovahJireh – MY PROVIDER.  When you pray, when you call out to God in desperation, you are speaking to the Provider of ALL things!  Pretty cool.  We can absolutely trust that name, as God’s name and character never change. 
When God introduces himself as Jehovah Jireh,
 Meaning the Lord will provide,’
It's not in the context of snacks or cars or money or bills.
It’s in the context of
the most profound physical need a person can face – the loss of life.
-Barnabas, Piper and Debra McDaniel

Sometimes, you may be like me – you may not even feel like believing or may not have faith in God and His provision.  That’s okay!  You can pray with me: “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!” Mark 9:24Lord, I CHOOSE to trust you, even though my feelings are running in the opposite way!
These times of fear and uncertainty are the exact times God is building faith within us.  We can learn to trust Him literally, for the things we need, just like George Mueller.  Strained times also remind us of Heaven – for followers of Christ, this earth is NOT our home.  It will decay, it will break apart by land and by leaders, but we can cling to that faith – the same faith believing in Jehovah Jireh – knowing we have a perfected home in Heaven, face to face with Father! Nothing of this world will matter once we arrive in His presence.
 

Hebrews 11:1,6: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.  6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him”. 

Here’s the thing, guys – our rewards aren’t always seen here on earth. There are plenty of these examples in the Bible – Believers, living out in faith, being obedient in word and deed, yet not seeing a “happy ending”.  Our lives as Followers of Christ are not Fairy tales, as complicated as they may be. 
YES!  God promises to provide for ALL of our needs, of that we can be sure!  There is no doubt.  But the fullness of His provision won’t be seen in this lifetime, on this earth.  The FULLNESS of God’s provision will be seen in HEAVEN, which is our true home. 

So, in these uncertain days of constant news reports, with true fears of what’s to come in this life, we can rest in Jehovah Jireh, Our Provider. 
Even if, even when, we don’t see the fruition of God’s full blessings in this lifetime, we can trust it will all be made right in the next.  Believer, be encouraged!  God has promised to take care of you, just as He cared for George Mueller and his large family; even more exciting, when this world seems to be too much, we can look forward to our REAL life, our eternal life with God.

Choosing to Believe,
Ryan


Enjoy reading more about George Mueller: https://www.georgemuller.org/
Enjoy reading about the “Heroes of Faith” from the Old Testament: https://www.biblestudytools.com/hebrews/11.html
Hebrews 11
1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 
2 This is what the ancients were commended for. 
3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. 
4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. 
5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased
6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. 
7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith. 
8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 
9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.
 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 
11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. 
12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. 
13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.
14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 
15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 
16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. 
17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 
18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned
19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death. 
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. 
21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. 
22 By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones. 
23 By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. 
24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 
25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 
26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. 
27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.
28 By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. 
29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. 
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days. 
31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. 
32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 
33who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 
34 quenched the fury of the flames and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 
35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 
36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment
37 They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated
38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. 
39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 
40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

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