¹¹ “Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, ¹²  lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, ¹³ and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, ¹⁴  then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, ¹⁵ who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, ¹⁶ who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. ¹⁷ Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ ¹⁸ You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. ¹⁹ And if you forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. ²⁰ Like the nations that the Lord makes to perish before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God.”

One of the many ways by which God reveals HIMSELF in Scripture is through the use of the Names HE gives to HIMSELF. Each of these Divine Names reflects something about HIM that HE desires HIS people to understand.

For example, when HE encounters Moses at the Burning Bush, HE reveals HIS Name as, “I AM THAT I AM.” That is, HE is the One True Living and Self-existent God!

Throughout the Word of God, HE reveals HIMSELF to us by these various names.

https://www.blueletterbible.org/study/misc/name_god.cfm

Genesis 2:4 (Most Often Used) “Yahweh” (Lord, Jehovah)

Genesis 14:18 “El Elyon” (The Most High God)

Genesis 15:2 “Adonai” (Lord, Master)

Genesis 17:1 “El Shaddai” (Lord God Almighty)

Genesis 21:33 “El Olam” (The Everlasting God)

Exodus 15:26 Jehovah Rapha (The Lord That Heals)

Exodus 17:15 “Jehovah Nissi” (The Lord My Banner)

Exodus 31:13 “Jehovah Mekoddishkem” (The Lord Who Sanctifies You)

Judges 6:24 “Jehovah Shalom” (The Lord Is Peace)

Psalm 23 “Jehovah-Raah” (The Lord My Shepherd)

Isaiah 1:3 “Jehovah Sabaoth” (The Lord of Hosts)

Jeremiah 23:6 “Jehovah Tsidkenu” (The Lord Our Righteousness)

Ezekiel 48:35 “Jehovah Shammah” (The Lord Is There)

But, for the purpose of a doctrinal series on “Christian Stewardship” (that I hope to work through for the next 4 weeks) I want to focus on the Name by which God revealed HIMSELF to Abraham when HE commanded him to sacrifice his son Isaac on the altar!

Genesis 22:14 “Jehovah Jireh” (The Lord Will Provide)

“So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

After more than thirty years of Pastoral ministry, it seems to me that there are two primary times that God’s people struggle with the calling and opportunity to serve God that we have as “stewards” of the material resources HE has entrusted to us.

The first of these is when things are going well; and, the second is when they are not going well! When things are going well we tend to forget God, and when things are not going well we tend to doubt God.

In spite of our forgetfulness and our doubts and fears, God continues to bless us. So, I want to kick off our series on “Christian Stewardship” with a sermon entitled, “How does God provide for HIS people?”

I believe that HE has revealed six specific ways by which HE provides for us in His Living and Holy Word. Let me challenge you to look up these key verses and see if you can enumerate and understand the ways HE has promised to provide:

Deuteronomy 8:18 – HE enables us to produce something!

Malachi 3:10-11 – HE blesses something!

Luke 6:38 and 2^nd Corinthians 9:6-7 – HE blesses someone!

James 1:5 – HE grants us something!

Proverbs 11:14 – HE provides us with someone!

Psalm 78:23-29 – HE does something!

Throughout the Word of God, HE tells us that a father is responsible to provide for his family; surely we realize that our Heavenly Father will faithfully provide for HIS Family!

I hope that you will take a few minutes read over, pray over, and think over these thoughts as you prepare your minds to hear the Word of God on Sunday!

I hope to see you Sunday with a smile on your face, your Bible in your hand, and your family and friends by your side!