God Will Provide

I was reading in Genesis 22 about Abraham and his son Isaac. And how God had tested Abraham to see if he would be obedient to him and bring the child as an offering to the Lord.

I find the account fascinating for so many reasons. Among them are Abraham's love for God, his ability to almost go through with the ultimate sacrifice for God, the child's curiosity, etc.

But the thing that stands out to me is the ram that was caught in the thicket by his horns. All of my life as I read that passage I never really grasped the deepness of it. Until God brought something similar to my remembrance.

The ram, of course, was placed there by God Himself because He knew that there would be a need for something to sacrifice. He knew all along that Abraham would not have to offer up his son, so He arranged it so that the ram would get hung up in the bushes by his horns and Abraham could use it.

I imagine that while God was putting together the test for His servant Abraham, He was going over all the details that had to be taken care of. Putting everything together and in place for the big day. He knew that preparations had to be made with the ram. So he caused the ram to go up the mountain to where Abraham would be and He caused it to get hung up in the brush. God knew the whole time what He was doing. He knew the details that had to be taken care of and He caused it all to come together for His servant.

Just like that!!

As I read, my mind was taken back to a time in 2015 when I laid on my bed every single night for four months praying for God to intervene in a situation in my life. I was without a car and things were difficult at the time. I was riding the transit bus and walking everywhere I went. My son was walking three miles to work and back on days when he couldn't get a ride and it wasn't the easiest time in our lives.

As I prayed and told Him my need for a car, not a new car, but just a car, He already knew it. He knew my need the whole time, but I still went to Him with my prayer. Each night I would pray about it and try my best to believe that somehow, someway, God would provide.

I ended up getting a brand new 2016 Dodge Dart from Dr. Phil and his wife, Robin as a gift because of what I'd been through with domestic violence. It was a blessing of a lifetime, let me tell you. I mean, how many times in life does someone just look at you and say, "here, I'm going to give you a vehicle worth more than 22,000 dollars", all for free?

Not many times, I will tell you that.

But what strikes me as truly fascinating and that parallels the story of God providing the ram for Abraham was how it all took place.

A contest such as Robin wanted took a long time to plan. I was told by one of the producers that she had been planning it for a year and that it was her "baby". I imagine it took a ton of work with her, producers, Dr. Phil, the scheduling of the show, not to mention the legal side of it and convincing a car lot to just give away a brand new vehicle and pay the taxes on it. So I imagine it did take a whole year to plan and get it started.

Then, out of forty thousand entries, my ONE little entry was the ONE they picked. I was told by a producer that one woman had purchased one thousand dollars worth of entries. At ten dollars an each, that's one hundred chances. Her odds of winning seemed pretty good when you look at it that way.

But God had a plan the whole time.

You see, God sees our whole life. Not just one day to the next. Nothing takes Him by surprise or sneaks up on Him. He knows all of my days, He watches over my comings and goings and He knew exactly what I would need in December 2015.

So way back in the fall of 2014, right after I had come out of the court trial with my abuser in the domestic violence case, God began to plan for my ram to be placed in the thicket.

He spoke to Robin, Dr. Phil's wife and instructed her to have a contest. She probably thought she was only going to raise money for her foundation, but God was making provisions for my ram. They worked a whole year on the preparations, making sure every detail was just right for the winner. They had no idea who would win, but God did. He already had it planned that my name would be chosen, He already had it planned that I would find the sacrfice that He provided. So when my name was picked, He took me to Los Angeles and there He provided for me the need for which I had prayed for only four months.

You see, God had looked down into time, one year in the future and saw that I would have a need for a car. So He did something very unusual for me. He invented a contest and drew my name, put me on a plane, and gave me a brand new vehicle so that my son and I would have transportation again.

There are so many points that I want to make with this story. How God knows our need before we ask (Matthew 6:8).

How He answers our prayer before we even pray it (Isaiah 65:24).

How He uses odd things ways to perform miracles (John 9:6).

I want to leave you with some interesting facts about what happened and I hope this will saturate your heart and mind because I feel the Holy Spirit as I write it and the tears are flowing from my eyes.

Do you know that was the FIRST contest that Robin had like that?

It was. They had never done one before.

And do you know that since then, they have NOT had another one?

Don't tell me that God didn't make that contest for this girl right here!! Because I know He did!!

Don't tell me that our God doesn't answer prayers!!

Don't tell me that He doesn't hear us BEFORE we even ask, because I'll tell you of the many times He has, including this one!!

Don't tell me that God is done working miracles because I can show you many!! This was only one of them.

So while Abraham took his son up on the mount to be sacrificed and the child asked where the offering was, God was working behind the scenes preparing a ram for him. The same way I was walking up the mountain wondering where my help was for months, God was preparing a ram for me. A Dodge Dart. Not a Dodge Ram, lol. But a Dart.

You can sit and argue me all day long till you're blue in the face that God is not real, and you'll only be wasting your time. Because I have accounts of Him being very real.

You can tell me that He doesn't answer prayers, but you'll be wasting your time again. Because I know He does. I know Him to be real and I've seen His hand at work in my life as well as the lives of others.

I ask you today, that if you have a need, turn to God and watch Him come through for you. Watch Him as he prepares an answer for you and shows Himself strong and mighty for you. God will take any measure He has to, to bring you the answer you need, even if it means taking you across the country and putting you on television.

I love Him with all of my everything. He owns my heart. He is the love of my life. My only goal in this life is to hang on until I can see Him face to face. I want to bow down before Him and thank Him for loving me when I was unlovable. I want to worship Him for all eternity for giving me the opportunity to be with Him in Heaven.

God loves us so much and He wants to help us. Turn to Him and allow Him to help and love you.

Much love,

Christy