Our Provider

39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Praise be to the LORD, who has upheld my cause against Nabal for treating me with contempt. He has kept his servant from doing wrong and has brought Nabal's wrongdoing down on his own head."
      Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife. 40 His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, "David has sent us to you to take you to become his wife."

 41 She bowed down with her face to the ground and said, "Here is your maidservant, ready to serve you and wash the feet of my master's servants." 42 Abigail quickly got on a donkey and, attended by her five maids, went with David's messengers and became his wife. 43 David had also married Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they both were his wives. 44 But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David's wife, to Paltiel ^[d] son of Laish, who was from Gallim. 1 Samuel 25:39-44

I walked into the office the other morning and Scott had taped a sheet of paper to his door that he had written "Jehovah-jireh, my provider".

Do you know who Jehovah-jireh is?

He is the God who provides.

Look at the verses above again and see how God provides.

God avenged David's insults from Nabal without David having to do anything. Wow, if we would only learn to let God fight our battles, rather than providing vengeance at our own hands.

God provided for Abigail's
request: "When the LORD shall deal well with my lord, then remember your maidservant." (v.31)

David did and took her as his wife. She was given an incredible opportunity to serve and contribute to the future of Israel.

God provided Abigail for David. God provided David with a very wise helper, who comes at a time of great loss for David. He has lost both his mentor Samuel and Michal, his wife, but now has a woman who he can respect and love.

God not only gave David a wife of beauty and wisdom, but also one of humility and submission.

Think about what she was giving up. She would have to leave her comfortable home to live a life in caves and deserts. Instead of being in charge of a large farm and servants, she is now the wife of a fugitive. She must know that there will be times of loneliness as David goes off to fight the Lord's battles. She would even have to endure being captured.

But, she knew Jehovah-jireh would provide; He already had!

God faithfully provides for our needs, at the time He knows we need it.

The name Jehovah-jireh
first appears in Genesis 22 when Abraham, in obedience to God's command, took his son Isaac to Mount Moriah to offer him for a burnt offering. After Abraham and son had arrived and prepared the altar, Isaac said to his father,

7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?"
      "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied.
      "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"

 8 Abraham answered, "God
himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together. Gen 22:7-8

And that is precisely what God did: He provided a substitute to die in the place of Isaac. "And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh", meaning "the Lord will provide."

Abraham did not experience God's miraculous provision without first giving obedience to God's command.

God will provide, but will we do our part and obey?