Mom told me a story I’d like to share today in honor of Mother’s Day.

My parents bought their carpet business  when most folks their age were planning for retirement. It was the early 1980s, during a recession. One by one the other businesses in their building closed up, but they kept plugging away and after several years of operation, they were finally starting to see a profit.

Dad left work one day for a dental appointment, where he was told that he had very high blood pressure.  The dentist’s office set up an appointment for him with a heart specialist.  When Dad returned from the cardiologist’s office, Mom had a customer, so they couldn’t talk. All he could say that he needed to go to the hospital for some tests.  And off he went.

After work Mom found him the hospital, checked in and awaiting an angiogram. Later they learned that there would be no angiogram. Instead he would have bypass surgery the next day.

Jehovah-Jirah

In a daze, Mom went home and got ready for bed.  “Lord, we don’t have any money to pay for heart surgery,” she prayed.  “We don’t have insurance or any other means of paying.  Do you have any ideas?” and she went to sleep.  When she woke up, the words Jehovah-Jireh were on her mind.  Jehovah-Jireh—The Lord our Provider (one of the names of God used in the Bible, see Genesis 22:8, 13-14).  And with that assurance, she thanked the Lord and never worried about it again.

But she did do her part — she checked into every resource available.  She spent a couple of months filling out paper work, digging up obscure information requested by government agencies, and following up every lead.  No help came through.

In the meantime, Dad’s surgery was a success.  He made steady progress, thanks to six weeks off work, long walks through the community, and a great attitude.

One day he said, “I’m going to go back to the Social Security Office and see if I can get signed up.”  He’d been there several months earlier but his request had been denied.  At that time he’d been told that he would need to sell the store before he qualified for benefits.

But this time they told him that he had been misinformed earlier and he did, indeed, qualify.

Not only did Social Security begin Dad’s payments, they also made them retro-active to the date of the earlier visit.  The amount Dad received in back pay covered the costs of the surgery!

The Lord Our Provider

What a God, who would carry my parents through a stressful time by simply reminding them of his name. Of course it says something about my parents who were quick to take God at his word. But they took him at his word because of who he is: Jehovah-Jirah—the Lord our provider!

Today I’m thinking about several friends who need Jehovah Jirah to provide for them. Perhaps you are waiting for his provision as well. Might you be encouraged today by the name of God, Jehovah-Jirah; by the truth that he lives up to his name; and by this testimony of God providing for my parents.

Ginger

In the Bible we read many names for God. Ann Spangler writes about the names of God and has several books, if you’d like to go deeper on the subject. Here is one such book.