We all know that 2020 has been the most troublesom, uncertain, and trying year that we’ve had in a very long time. For a lot of people job loss, money shortage, and civil unrest has really taken hold of their lives and really shook their faith in God. But I wanted to encourage you in this time of uncertainty. Looking at the things going on around the country and around the world does not take away from the goodness of the Lord God. We have to know that even when turmoil is all around us at every turn, that God is still in control. I say often times, that nothing catches God off guard. He does not sleep nor does He slumbar. He is not waking up to the bad news, He knew it was coming before it came. As children of God, we must learn to lean on God both in the good times and in the bad times. Psalm 18:2 says, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” What does this mean? It means that God is tough enough to bare the burden of our pain, sorrow, uncertainty, and even the weight of our tears. He is strong enough to keep us when we need keeping, deliver us when we need deliverance, and hold us when we need to be held.
God is our provider and our protector in good times and in bad times. How do we know He is a provider? Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Every need we have, from waking up in the morning to having the breath we need to live, God provides. He provides these gifts so regularly, that we dont give much thought to them at all. We tend to think of them as necessary but basic. Most times, if we are being honest, we drift off to sleep at night without one thought of not waking up the next morning. How do I know this? Because sometimes we wake up the next morning not realizing that we didnt even say our nightly prayers. You know the ones we were taught as children? The “now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep, if I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.” God is so much of a provider that His name literally means provider. Jehovah-Jireh means “The Lord will provide.” If we call on Jehovah-Jireh to provide, then that’s what He will do. God never gets tired of supplying our needs. From water to shelter, all of our needs are supplied by Him. He can use anything or anyone to provide a need for you. How do we know this to be true? All we have to do is think back over our lives. Have you ever needed a bill paid or money for something and you found money laying on the ground? Ever been in line at a fast food restaurant and got to the window and found that the car in front of you had already paid for your lunch? That was God using a vessel to do His will. My mom often tells me that God can bless us any way He sees fit! Who wouldn’t serve a God like that?
He is not only a provider, He is also our protector. Now, how do we know He protects us? We don’t see any imminent threats to our well being? So what exactly is God protecting us from? He is protecting us from things we can see like random acts of violence, unkindness, hurt, anguish, and lack. And then He’s also protecting us from things we can’t see with the naked eye. Things like evil spirits and those who use evil spirits to do evil. These kinds of things are not always evident or easily seen, so God sends His angels to protect us from things we can see and things we cant. That wreck you were in that should have claimed your life but didn’t, that was God sending His angels to protect you and spare your life. Or when you left the house but forgot to turn the stove off after making breakfast and the house didn’t burn down, that was God’s protection.
I often times say that God is the God of what I can see and what I can’t see. He is such a great God that I don’t have to bother to worry about how I’ll make it from one day to the next. He has already figured out how to get me from today to tomorrow. In trying times such as what we’ve all experienced this year, I’ve found that I’ve learned to lean on Him like He always intended. And the more I lean on Him the less stress I experience. The more I lean on Him the more peace I have in the storms of 2020. I’ve learned more about His protecting and providing powers than I’ve ever known. I no longer rely on the praise reports and testimonies of my grandparents and parents. I’ve experienced the goodness of the Lord for myself. I see His constant blessings in my life and in the lives of my family members. And who wouldn’t serve a God who provides and protects like our God does?
I pray that after reading this, that you are encouraged to lean on our provider, God in every situation you encounter from this day forward. He will be Jehovah-Jireh in your life as He’s always been.
God bless!
Katina L Jenkins