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Do you ever feel not-so-thankful at Thanksgiving?
Somehow celebrating abundance can accentuate lack. And all the holiday stressors—cold weather, family drama, extra expenses—only add to the dissatisfaction.
But what if gratitude isn’t about what we have, but who we know?
Meet Jehovah Jireh
In the Old Testament, one of God’s many Hebrew names is Jehovah Jireh, meaning “the Lord provides.”
The name first appears in Genesis 22, which recounts how God tested Abraham’s faith by asking him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. In obedience, Abraham led Isaac to a mountaintop, prepared an altar, bound his son and raised a knife. But, just before Abraham could strike, an angel intervened to commend Abraham’s faith and bless his lineage. Instead of sacrificing his son, Abraham sacrificed a ram that was caught in the bushes nearby. According to Genesis 22:14, Abraham called that place Jehovah Jireh. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
Thousands of years later, Jehovah Jireh provided another sacrifice on a mountaintop—his son, Jesus. And in Jesus’s death and resurrection, God provided a solution to the biggest problems humanity could never solve. By Jesus’s wounds we are healed from sin, death and failure (Is. 53:5). By his resurrection, we can enjoy an eternal relationship with our creator.
Through Jesus, God provides us with hope for this life and an eternity with him.
This Thanksgiving, your blessings may seem sparse, or even nonexistent. You may feel overwhelmed, insufficient or lost. But you have the ultimate Provider on your side. He has given you purpose, hope and eternal life. He is here to comfort you in times of despair. He wants to provide for your soul.
In any circumstance, we can be grateful for Jehovah Jireh and his unchanging character. We can give thanks to the God who provides.
But if you can’t find the words to express your gratitude, borrow some from the good Word. We’ve compiled a list of Bible verses illuminating and celebrating God’s provision to help you cultivate gratitude in any season of life.
10 Bible Verses celebrating God’s provision
1. Fear not, o land; be glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done great things. (Joel 2:21)
2. For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. (Is. 44:3)
3. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent. (Ex. 14:14)
4. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. (Is. 12:3)
5. But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me. (Micah 7:7)
6. The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. (Ex. 15:2)
7. “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.” (Mat. 6:28-29)
8. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor. 12:9)
9. For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God? (2 Sam. 22:32)
10. If God is for us, who could be against us? He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Rom. 8:31-32)
Do Good:
- Prepare your heart for Thanksgiving with “Table-ology,” a new Scripture study from Caring.
- Get on the list for Good Words from the Good Word and get a boost of inspiration in 1 minute a day with a daily affirmation from Scripture list sent straight to your inbox. It’s an email to help you start your day with goodness.
- Did you know The Salvation Army served 31 million Americans last year fighting hunger, homelessness, substance abuse and more—all in a Fight for Good? Where can you help? Take our quiz to find your cause and learn how you can join in today.
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