Genesis 22:14 (NIV) Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the Lord will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

Abraham underwent probably the most severe test that a person could go through in this life. God asked Abraham to go to a specific mountain to sacrifice his son Isaac as a burnt offering. Abraham, trusting God as no one else had done up to that point, obeyed and headed in the direction that God showed him with his son, a couple of servants and with the wood and the fire that would be necessary. Abraham seemed to have a deeper knowledge of what was going to happen because when Isaac asked him where the sheep for the sacrifice was, Abraham told him that God would supply it. We get a little further insight from Hebrews 11:19, where scripture states that Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God could bring Him back from the dead. Because of this great faith that Abraham exhibited, God stopped him from harming Isaac and instead provided a ram for the sacrifice. That's when Abraham named that place on the mountain, Yahweh-Yireh, which means the Lord will provide. It then led to a phrase that was used from then on that said, "On the mountain of the Lord, it will be provided."

So what does it take to get to know God as Yahweh-Yireh, as Abraham got to know Him? First, you must climb the holy hill of the Lord with clean hands (Psalm 24:3-4). When you received Christ Jesus as your Lord and Savior, He not only cleaned your hands, but your entire body as well. You are clean! You can meet with God! Second, you must follow God's directions. That means bowing to His will. Be willing to do whatever He tells you to do, with Him giving you the strength. Finally, you must trust Him implicitly. You must be completely confident that the Lord is good and that His plans for you are for your good. You must move forward, following Him wherever He leads without wavering. That's when you, like Abraham, will learn that on the mountain of the Lord, it will be provided.

Many Christians are not willing to make the climb because they feel the cost is too high. They're afraid of what the Lord might ask them to do so they just stay on the outskirts of their relationship with God and never get to know Him as the wonder that He is. They never get to know Him as their Provider, the one that would meet all of their needs according to His glorious riches in heaven. They never experience receiving anything from the very hand of God. Knowing the Lord as Yahweh-Yireh will deepen your faith and your love for Him. It will make the journey here on this earth extraordinary and it will spare you from the toil, stress, and anxiety of trying to provide for yourself and your loved ones in your own strength. Be bold enough to climb the mountain of the Lord where you will learn that there, everything you need will be provided...guaranteed!

Pastor Joey Vazquez