Sometimes we face situations where we simply cannot see how things are going to work out. We look at what needs to be done, consider what we have available, and realize that there is still something missing. We pray, we do our best to make wise decisions, but the questions remain. Where will the help come from? How will this situation be resolved? What if things don’t turn out the way we hoped?
Abraham knew what it meant to face something he could not understand. In Genesis 22, God asked him to take his beloved son Isaac to the land of Moriah and offer him as a sacrifice. Isaac was the son God had promised him, the very son through whom his descendants would come. Yet Abraham chose to trust God, even when what He was asking seemed impossible to understand.
As they walked up the mountain together, Isaac noticed that they had the wood and the fire for the offering, but no lamb. He turned to his father and asked where the lamb was. Abraham answered:
“God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.”
Genesis 22:8
Abraham did not know exactly what was going to happen. He could not see how God would resolve the situation, but he knew the Lord who had made the promise. And when the moment came, God intervened. Abraham saw a ram caught in a thicket, and he offered it in place of his son.
This week’s Hebrew phrase is Adonai Yir’eh (יְהוָה יִרְאֶה, pronounced: ah-doh-NIGH yeer-EH), meaning “The LORD Will Provide.” Abraham gave this name to the place where God had provided the sacrifice.
“So Abraham called the name of that place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, ‘In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided.’”
Genesis 22:14
The Hebrew word yir’eh comes from ra’ah, meaning “to see.” In this passage, it also carries the meaning of providing. There is a beautiful connection here. The Lord sees what we need, even when we cannot see how that need will be met.
I think this is something we all need to remember. We often measure our circumstances by what we can see in front of us. We see the bills that need to be paid, the problems in our families, the uncertainty about the future, and the prayers that have not yet been answered. And sometimes, without even realizing it, we begin to believe that if we cannot see a solution, perhaps there isn’t one.
But Abraham’s experience reminds us that God is not limited by what we can see.
That does not mean every problem will disappear or that the Lord will always answer in the way we expect. Abraham had to walk a difficult road of obedience without knowing what would happen next. His faith was not based on having all the answers. It was based on knowing the God who had called him.
We can learn something important from this. Trusting God does not mean that we stop working, planning, or taking responsibility for the things He has placed in our hands. It means that after doing what we can, we leave room for God to do what we cannot.
There is also a beautiful connection between Abraham’s experience and Yeshua.
On Mount Moriah, God provided a ram in Isaac’s place. Many centuries later, John the Baptist saw Yeshua approaching and declared:
“Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
John 1:29
Through Yeshua, God provided something far greater than anything we could ever provide for ourselves. He made a way for our sins to be forgiven and for us to be reconciled to Him. Before we ever understood how much we needed His mercy, God had already prepared the way through His Son.
And I think this gives us a wonderful reason to trust Him with the needs we face today. If the Lord has already shown us such great love through Yeshua, we can come before Him with confidence, knowing that He cares about the details of our lives as well.
Maybe there is something you have been praying about for a long time. Perhaps it concerns your children, your work, your health, or a situation in your family that seems to have no easy answer. You have tried to do the right thing, but you still don’t know what comes next.
Bring that need before the Lord again. Adonai Yir’eh. The Lord will provide.
You may not know when the answer will come or what it will look like. But you can trust that God sees your circumstances, hears your prayers, and knows what you need. His provision may come in a way you did not expect, and sometimes He will give you the strength to walk through a difficulty rather than remove it immediately.
We do not have to understand everything God is doing in order to trust Him. Abraham could not see what was waiting for him on that mountain, but he continued to walk in faith. And we can do the same, one step at a time, remembering that the Lord who has been faithful to us in the past has not changed.
Prayer
“Heavenly Father, thank You that You are Adonai Yir’eh, the Lord who sees and provides. You know the things that concern me today, including the needs I cannot meet and the questions I cannot answer. Sometimes I allow worry to take hold because I cannot see how things will work out. Help me to remember Your faithfulness and to trust You with what lies ahead. Give me wisdom to do what is right, patience when I need to wait, and peace when the answers are not yet clear. Thank You for providing Yeshua, the Lamb of God, through whom You have given us forgiveness and eternal life. Teach me to walk in faith, knowing that You see me and care for me. In Yeshua’s name, Amen.”
Blessings from Israel,
Pastor Israel