Mercies in Disguise

Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 

But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” 

“Here I am,” he replied. 

“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. 

Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. 

He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 

So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. 

And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”

- Genesis 22:10-14, NIV

In Genesis we read of Abraham, who is about to kill his son as a sacrifice to the Lord. But instead of allowing Abraham to kill Isaac, God provides a ram for Abraham to sacrifice in his son's stead. So Abraham calls the place "Jehovah-Jireh," which means "The Lord will provide."

Doors open and doors close. Things are given and things are taken away. Sunny days inevitably give way to rainy ones. Yet amid our struggles and tribulations we can take comfort in the fact that the God we serve knows our every need.

Jehovah-Jireh. The Lord will provide.

Job says: 

"Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD." (Job 1:21, NASB)

Even though Job was in a season of loss, he was blessing the name of the Lord.

Why? We've talked before about how awesome God is, and how He deserves to be worshiped not because of what He does but because of who He is. But even by looking solely at what He does, He still deserves our praise and worship. Why? Jehovah-Jireh. The Lord will provide.

His mercies and love are never-ending. And when we think He's working against us, just remember that God is still at work. Through raindrops, tears, sleepless nights...God is at work. And especially in those times, He wants us to put our trust wholly and solely in Him. 

Remember: Jehovah-Jireh. The Lord will provide.

There's a song by Laura Story that says it beautifully:

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

It can be hard to see Him through the downpour, but God is there even when we can't see Him, when we don't know how things are going to work out, when uncertainty abounds and chaos ensues. But He's there. And He's guiding us through life with our best interests ultimately in mind, even when we experience real-life technical difficulties. 

God's plans aren't ours. His are higher.

So...

What if our troubles are the way to His blessings? 

What if our tribulations are the path to His peace?

What if our trials are His mercies in disguise?

Jehovah-Jireh. The Lord will provide.

But maybe the ultimate encouragement comes from this: 

We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home.

Our pain is temporary, and it reminds us that one day our struggles and sorrows will be forgotten, that soon - day and night - we will worship the Lamb sitting on His throne in Heaven. 

This is not our home. We have a better one awaiting us. It's a mansion, and God is getting it ready so that He can send Jesus to come and get us - soon and very soon. 

Jehovah-Jireh. The Lord will provide.

"Blessings" - Laura Story

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home,
It's not our home

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

- Jeremiah 29:11, NIV