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"In its simplest state, Jehovah Jireh means God will provide, however, that provision comes through opportunities for us to see Him, and in ways He will be seen in our circumstances."
As quoted from the book "Victor - Breaking Free From a Victim-Based Society" by John H. Hovis Page 89.
In the Bible, God's name is stated in many different forms. In the original language these names speak of the characteristics of God that happened to be relevant for the portrayal of the story where His name was used. When you look at the names of God in their entirety, you get a glimpse into the fullness of God's identity. Knowing more about God's identity helps us since we are said to carry the very image of God. Knowing who this God is helps us to know who we are.
I thought we would spend a couple minutes looking at some of the names of God found in the Old Testament and see what we can learn about our identity as a result.
We will start with a name of power. EL SHADDAI [el-shah-dahy]. This name even sounds menacing. This name literally means God Almighty. It represents the ultimate name in power. That's the pedigree we too have - Power is part of who we are.
Next consider the name ELOHIM [el-oh-heem]. This word means God the "creator, mighty and strong." This word was used to describe God as He spoke the universe into existence in Genesis. I like this name because of the description creator. God is a creative genius. We too carry this creative gene in our being. That's why mankind has steadily marched forward with technology, art and sciences. Our heritage of creativeness has made us mighty and strong as well.
God also is referred to as JEHOVA-RAPHA [raw-faw]. This name communicates the healing nature of our God. Literally translated God The Healer, we can hold onto the promise of healing in our lives. We also are healers in our own right as we walk in relationship with those God brings into our paths.
Then there's the name JEHOVA-SHALOM [shah-lohm] meaning The Lord Our Peace. Shalom is still used in Hebrew as a greeting and means peace be with you. Our very identity is shaped by the characteristic of peace. No wonder God says in His Word - Blessed are the peacemakers...
JEHOVA-ROHI [roh-hee] is translated as The Lord Our Shepherd. Watch a mother from any species and you can't help but to understand the fierce love a shepherd has for those in her flock. That fierceness comes from God Himself. That's how he feels about us. He would literally die for our salvation - exactly what He did on the cross.
When it comes to our identity we really need to understand this next name. EL-OLAM [oh-lahm] means Everlasting God. It is the eternal nature of our God that we need to get a grasp on in order to really understand who we are. Our identities need to be tied to something permanent in order for our victor status to be fully lived out. The eternal nature of El Olam that resides in us all makes our identity something that the temporary things of this world just can't match.
The last name we will take a look at today is the name that appears in our quote above. God is called JEHOVA-JIREH [ji-reh]. Commonly translated The Lord Will Provide, this characteristic has been leaned on by many in the Christian world in ways that I believe have cause misunderstanding and ultimately victim thinking.
When we allow our expectations as to what God needs to provide to be what we look to God for His provision on is when victim thinking can quickly become part of our lives. It is true that this name of God speaks to provision, but what is it that He provides? That's the key question those looking to live this life the victor God has called them to live must address.
A friend of mine, who has relied on an interpretation of God's provision steeped in his own expectations over the years came to a place in his life where he had to consider what provision means as far as God is concerned. My friend had always seen God be the provider of what he needed over and over again. It was when God didn't seem to come through with providing for his needs that his definition of provision brought in a level of victim thinking that was hard to recover from.
After losing his house and ultimately his marriage, this friend had to do a lot of soul searching as far as the JEHOVA-JIREH name of God was concerned. You see, due to the fact that my friend lost so much of what he saw as the provision God was suppose to provide, my friend had a choice. He could either abandon belief in this God all together or try and figure out what God The Provider really means.
My friend dug deep into God's Word and found that the root meaning of Jireh actually deals with the issue of being seen. JEHOVA-JIREH really speaks of God providing opportunities to see Him in our circumstances. That can be done when God provides all our needs just as powerfully as it can happen when our worldly needs go unmet. It isn't that God isn't providing if all our worldly needs aren't being met. It is that we are looking to God to provide something less than the best when we use our own interpretation of JIREH.
JEHOVA-JIREH is really all about God providing Himself in all circumstances. As far as what that provision looks like, that's totally up to God. If we put our expectations on God as to what provision is to be we are doomed to be disappointed from time to time. Disappointment greases the skids to victim thinking in a world where what we want simply isn't guaranteed in any shape or form.
As you consider the names of God, know this, God's image resides in you. He has made you in His own image. That makes it possible for us to see His characteristics in all that may come against us in our world. If you try and use those characteristics to guarantee a good life for your self, you will find yourself in places where it is so easy to doubt your victor status. It is when we doubt our victor status that victim thinking can take over in our lives.
As you take on your day, look for ways His characteristics flow out of you. The impact you have in this world might just be the result of the names of God being something that your identity can't help but to display. When things go in a direction that might not be how you want them to go, remember that JEHOVA-JIREH is the characteristic of God that guarantees that even the challenging situations you face will be filled with God sized sightings of Him. Let His presence be all the provision you rely on from God and go after as much of the provision as you can as you live out your victor status today.
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