Confident Faith in Yahweh-Jireh
“So, Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided” (Gen. 22:14 NIV).
Introduction
The Lord Will Provide
We know that when we engage all five of our senses, we can be more acutely aware of our surroundings and be more present in the moment. We are going to experience worship through using each of our senses to be reminded of God’s provision to each of us. He doesn’t just provide what we need to survive. He also provides true enjoyment and pleasure if we take the time to be present with Him and enjoy His creation. As you exercise each of your senses, allow the Holy Spirit to fill you and restore your faith in the God who provides.
Program Ideas
We have been blessed with God-given senses. That help us make sense of the world around us and to process information. However, when we get overwhelmed or stressed, these are usually the last things we focus on. Psychologists will remind you of the necessity to re-engage all five senses to reconnect with peace, tranquility, and even joy. Doesn’t that mean we should also engage them to worship the God who provides all good things? We are going to take a worshipful journey thanking God for all the beautiful things He provides.
Refreshments
Ask the women to bring Thanksgiving themed items to share—pumpkin bread, cinnamon rolls, pecan treats, lemon squares—food that reminds you of Thanksgiving both in how they taste and how they smell. This is the “taste” aspect on our five-senses worship interaction.
Craft Idea
A craft idea for this program is a homemade air freshener. This could either be a potpourri pinecone decorated for Thanksgiving (https://www.momdot.com/how-to-make-a-pine-cone-turkey/), or an orange clove homemade table decoration called pomanders (https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/114560384258578043/). This is both the “touch” and “smell” aspect of the five-senses worship interaction.
Worship Music
An important part of this worship experience is to have a playlist of praise and worship music playing throughout the duration of the fellowship, food, and craft portion of the program. This is the “hear” aspect of the worship program.
Decorate
The last aspect is something that will be unique to each location. What are some unique ways you can decorate for Fall/Thanksgiving/November? You want to almost overwhelm the women with autumn surroundings, helping them see and be immersed in Fall and Thanksgiving.
What Senses Are You Experiencing
As they participate in each activity, ask them: “What do you see? What do you hear? What do you smell? What do you taste? What do you feel?” The more they actively engage with their surroundings, the more connected they will feel to the experience, the surroundings, and each other. The more they will be reminded of the God who provided all these wonderful things and give us the ability to fully enjoy them.
Yahweh-Jireh
It is no coincidence that Yahweh-Jireh is mentioned in our theme verse which says, “So, Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided” (Gen. 22:14 NIV).This is the moment Abraham realized God would indeed provide everything he needed. This is the hardest test Abraham has ever had to endure. He had no way of knowing what would happen.
God had already promised Abraham more descendants than he could count, and it all seemed to hinge on a single offspring: one child, a son. Then, God tells him to sacrifice this same son on an altar. Abraham must have been so sad and confused. How else would God fulfill all the promises He had made? Surely, he was far too old now to have another child. What could God possibly have in store?
Isaac wasn’t ignorant of what was happening either, he asked his father outright what he was doing: “Dad, you’ve got just about everything you need, but I know how offerings work. Where’s the animal we’re going to sacrifice?” Abraham might have answered his son correctly, but I am almost positive that when he said, “Don’t worry son, the Lord will provide the sacrifice,” he wasn’t sure he believed it yet. It was a long walk from their house to the altar, three whole days of walking, dreading the destination. Due to the nature of the journey, most of this was probably done in silence. On the third day, Abraham saw the destination in the distance, and told his servants to let him and Isaac go the rest of the way on their own. In the theatrical world Abraham making Isaac carry the wood on his back would be called “foreshadowing” as it gives a hint of what is going to take place in the future.
Abraham had three whole days to change his mind, lose his nerve, or simply decide not to follow through with what God had asked him to do. Those silent moments in the journey took up so much willpower, determination, and faith. His faith does not even waiver when he lays his son on the wood of the altar and holds his knife to deliver the sacrificial blow. In fact, the voice of God had to stop him in the act, so no harm would come to Isaac.
Few of us can say that we would go to these lengths in our faith or devotion to God, but when Abraham realizes God has indeed provided the animal needed, his acknowledgement of Yahweh-Jireh could not have been more authentic or endearing. Sometimes it takes us acknowledging all the information being processed by each of our senses to be fully immersed in the experience and circumstances around us. Abraham knew exactly what he was seeing, feeling, smelling, tasting, and hearing the entire journey. And when God came through, it meant even more to him after that three-day journey of the senses!
Abraham knew more of God in this moment than any human of faith had up to that point. He now knew that God provides, not just what we limit our imaginations to, but above and beyond things we could even imagine.
How has God provided for you and your family this year? How is God providing for you right now? What can we think of to be thankful for in this season? Share some praise reports with those in your group as you close today.
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