“But I think it is necessary to send back to you, Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs.”
(Philippians 2:25-26)
The story is told of a man that got on a bus with other delegates attending a workplace conference in South Africa. It was a season in his life in which he had experienced many losses both financially and relationally. God was stripping away the old wineskin and creating a new one.
He said that one of the things God was teaching him was that God, not his skills, not his work, but that God was his provider of financial needs during this season of training.
God provided the man with the means to attend the conference. One day before the registration deadline, a man came to his office and gave him $2,500 and told him he was to go.
Now, a man had just placed an envelope in his hand. “Here, God says I am to give this to you. Inside are 10 crisp American $100 bills – $1000!” The man was from Kuwait.
Every believer needs to come to know Christ as their provider. Jehovah Jireh means God is my provider. When God called the Israelites from their place of slavery they had to walk through the desert.
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There is no way to earn a living in the desert. So God provided manna each day for them. Sometimes He even brought water from rocks.
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They had to experience a new way of gaining provision that was not rooted in sweat and toil. God had to demonstrate His faithfulness as Jehovah Jireh to His people.
There were times when Paul’s tent making business was not the way God would provide for him. God often uses others as His instrument of provision. So, God sent Epaphroditus to take care of Paul’s needs.
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Do you know God as your provider? Do you have a need? Place your need before the Lord today and ask Him to demonstrate His faithfulness as Jehovah Jireh.
Tell God that you want to KNOW Him. God is great and He does great things. Tell God that you want to spend more time with Him.
Ask God to help you make time to sit before His throne in quiet places to read His Word in order to know Him more intimately, to help you develop an ear to hear His voice so that you know when to turn to the right or to the left. Trust God to guide you in all things.
