My God Who Provides

A song meditating on Genesis 22 and Romans 8:32…

My God Who Provides – Words and Music by Eric Redmond, © 2006

On Sept 12, 2006, I was thinking about how blessed Becky and I were, but very aware that God often calls His people into very hard things.  I started writing a song to encourage Christians to trust God in those painful times. All through the day the Lord was reminding me of truths from His word and I was writing them into the song, and later that day we found out Becky was miscarrying.  I had already been pondering that our children are on loan from God, and how He is just in all His  dealings with us and “our” children (see Job 1:18-22, Malachi 2:15, Ps 127:3-5, Lk 14:25-27, Mk 1:16-20). 

Then I meditated on how faithful Yahweh is in keeping His promises to care for and provide for His own (even when we don’t immediately see His provision.  See Ps 84:10-12, Ps 23:1, Mt 6:25-34, Mt 5:10-12, Ps 16:11, Rev 7:13-17).  God reminded me His provision is intimately connected with His name, Yahweh (“The One who IS, who CAUSES to be, and ALWAYS IS with those who are His” – when you see LORD in all caps it points us to His covenant name, Yahweh). 

I thought back to the story in Genesis 22 where God both called for a heart-wrenching sacrifice from Abraham AND revealed His perfect provision (in the Hebrew language of the Old Testament, Gen 22:14 has “Yahweh Yireh” – Yahweh will see the need and will see to it that the need is met – He will provide).  Fast forward many years after Abraham and Isaac to the Cross, where God Himself laid down His only Son (and His hand was NOT held back).  Romans 8:32 reminds us that the Cross is the once-for-all reminder of God’s rich provision and care for His people: “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”

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1.  A father and son, on a mountain stood. Abraham brought Isaac, the fire, and the wood.  [Gen 22, Heb 11:17-19]  Isaac said, “My father, where’s the sacrifice?”  Abraham answered, “Yahweh will provide.” //  The knife was raised over his beloved son,  [Gen 22:2, Mk 1:11]  Then a voice called from heaven: “Do him no harm.”  Look, in the thicket – there’s a substitute.  [Isa 53:4-11, Rom 5:8, 2 Cor 5:21, Gal 3:13]   Yahweh your God has provided for you! 

[CHORUS 1] – He is Yahweh Yireh, my God who provides. [Yahweh Yireh = “Yahweh will provide”; Gen 22:8, 14]  He sees and hears me, to Him will I cry.  [Gen 16:11-14]   I will not fear, for He is with me.  He is Yahweh Yireh, my God who provides.

2.  Long after Abraham, in a Bethlehem stall,  Yahweh did send His Son, to give us His all.  [Jn 3:16, Gal 4:4-7]  Shepherds were witness to God’s perfect Lamb.  [Lk 2:1-20]  Yahweh, Your Son is Your provision plan!  [2 Cor 1:19-20, Rom 8:32]  //  On Calvary’s hill, God’s beloved Son stood. Ready to give His life on a cross of wood.  [Lk 23:32-47]   For all of my sins, He’s the sacrifice.  [Heb 7:26-28, 9:12-14, 10:11-14; 1 Jn 2:1-2] Yahweh, I’ll praise Your name, for You did provide!  

[CHORUS 2 – “You are Yahweh Yireh, my God who provides…”] 

3.  When the enemy whispers, “God is not good,”  [Gen 3:1-6, Job 2:3-10] And I wonder if You care, like You said You would.  [1 Pet 5:6-8, Mt 6:25-34, Mk 4:35-38]   I will call to mind the Cross of Christ; 

Forever the evidence that You will provide!  [Rom 8:30-39, 5:6-19]  [CHORUS 2] 

4.  When Christians are starving, and tortured and tried,  [Mt 5:10-12, Jn 16:33, Acts 14:22, 1 Pet 5:6-11] And enemies ask, “Where’s your God who provides?”  [Isa 36-37, esp Isa 36:4, 13-20, Isa 37:9-11, 18-20] We’ll remember the end of the story You told –  [Rev 7:13-17, Rev 21:1-4]

How we’ll feast in Your presence, and all will know:  [Ps 23, Ps 16:11, 84:10-12][CHORUS 2, ENDING]