Since my dad passed away, I have thought a lot about his life and who he really was. When someone is alive we often let the emotions of the moment cloud our impressions or add bias to the circumstances. Because dad had diabetes during the last decade or so of his life, his mood was often impacted by the disease. There were times when I questioned if that was really my dad I was talking to or the moods brought on by the disease. The reality is there were constants during his life. Two things stand out: first, his strong fixation on doing things right the first time, and second his willingness to give his family members whatever they needed, regardless of what it cost him. The latter is what I remember most. It is a Godly attribute that I have tried to emulate for my children.

I believe that God, like my dad, wants us to have the desires of our heart. I believe that because the Hebrew word Jirah is used with his name many times. The word jireh comes from the ancient root word rā’â, meaning to have the power to consider and discern all needs. What differentiates Father God from your earthly dad is that His ability is not just based on experience, but an understanding of the multiple options and consequence of those options as well as a contingency for each option. I don’t know about you, but that concept alone blows me away. Whatever you choose (of your own free will,) God’s provisions will meet or exceed your requirements. Your Father doesn’t just satisfy each option, but insures it will enhance your growth and development. (Genesis 22:13 – 14)

The Father makes it plain that He conceived the specific positions and places of authority, for every individual. (Romans 13:1–3) We have the ability to achieve our desires because it is a part of His image He passed on to us. He programmed even the smallest synapse of our brain to acquire the knowledge and skill sets for we need to do the work He wanted us to do. Additionally, He gave us the drive to provide the income for ourselves and families. He even makes us walk where we need to walk (Proverbs 16:9) in order to fulfill His plan. Jehovah Jirah must have been on the 19^th century author Ada Habersham’s mind when she said: “When God asks us for something, He always gives it to us first.”

So, if The Father has given us everything we already need for success, where do we go wrong? We focus on selfish desires rather than who we were created to be. We try to keep up with the Joneses or compare ourselves to others. What is wrong with just being who & what God created you to be?

If you look at Christ’s model prayer (Matthew 6:9–13) there is a focus — The Kingdom. In the the few words devoted to Himself we see the need for meeting physical, mental, and spiritual needs. If those are met, then, in reality we need nothing else! The reality is those things are already met! For example, The Father has already promised to meet our physical needs. (Psalm 111:5, Matthew 6:25 – 33) That’s why Christ says “Give us this day our daily bread.” It’s already promised! No worries mate!

Love, Dad