Jehovah Jireh: Our Mini Story on Trust

What comes to your mind when you think of sacrifice or provision? One can almost correctly guess it...Genesis 22, the story of Abraham and Isaac. I'm not surprised, because indeed that account of Abraham and Isaac in the Bible is a challenging, but encouraging one. God asks Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac (only 'son' in a sense that he was the son of promise), and I can imagine, the old man must have been startled, but because he trusted God, he obeyed, Heb 11:17-19 proves that. The overarching theme: Trust and Obey, God Shall Provide, no doubt.

Early this year we had planned a long week-end VBS roundup for the children at the mission site, so we started all the necessary preps and tried to organize the school where we were going to conduct it. After speaking to the principal of the school, we were grateful to God that he allowed that to go as seamless as possible, and so we prepared things as usual. It was about a week before the VBS when we called the principal just to confirm that all is in order, things had changed and the matter had to be taken to the SGB for approval, surely it was just as easy as writing a proposal, praying and waiting right? We were requested to pay a certain amount per day in order to have our VBS at the school, but given our limited resources it was not feasible, so we prayed about it and continued preparing for the VBS.

One day left and we rounded up all our things and printed all that was needed for the children at the mission site. It was a Thursday evening, 18:00, 17th April, the day before the VBS, when I came home with everything ready for the VBS, and kneeling down I spoke to God and said, "Lord, this is your work, you have sent us, we ask that you may please provide, that you may speak to the SGB and to the principal, may your Holy Spirit move them and may your work be done, we ask for a miracle this day Lord, Amen." Immediately after the prayer, I picked up the phone and called the principal, there was no answer, but the Holy Spirit impressed upon my mind to send an sms stating to the principal that we are still willing to come the next day at 09:30am and will continue with the children's programme outside the school. Just after sending that text message, a call came in, it was the principal of course, he admittedly said that he was moved by the text and just had to respond, he granted us access to the school and the VBS went on as planned.

The encouraging words came to mind that were once stated by one of our many favourite all time missionaries Hudson Taylor confirming that "God's work done in God's way, will NEVER lack God's supply." When obstacles come your way, remember the promise and Go forward, when it seems impossible to see the way, remember the way God carved with His breath between the Red Sea. The God of Abraham was not his alone, for verily even in 2014, He is the God of Missiontwenty4 and He can be your God too -- Jehovah Jireh: Our God provides.