Provision and mercy

“The Lord will provide.”

This was what Abraham had told his son, Isaac, when asked where God’s sacrifice would come from.

It’s been on my mind especially from the time I’ve moved until now. More so now than before. However, now it is because of neglect on my part.

The question, though, is what am I trusting God for? To make this go away? To lessen the severity so I don’t feel like a complete ass? To comfort me while slowly rebuilding this wreck?

I had put a bunch of check in the mailbox for utilities (in Asheville and Durham). For some reason, to be determined, the mailman didn’t take them. Later, I checked by balance online to discover that I had been overextending my bank account and the overdraft account was practically depleted.

Lesson: even though it hurts like hell, check your balances often. Especially before paying bills.

Another mercy: not getting into the biology course (and waiting for the refund check for the hours).

Tuesday, I’ll be starting my job, so that couldn’t have come at a better time.

So, what is the proper response when we get ourselves into these situations? Abraham trusted God so completely, both that what God was promising was worthy of do what he was commanded and that God would be able to either raise Isaac from the dead or to provide another child, that he was willing and able to follow through. Perhaps that helps. Perhaps you’re now asking yourself (like I am), Abraham was called to do that; he didn’t get himself into a hopeless situation by neglect. True.

David, the king of Israel, who had slept with another man’s wife and had the husband killed, faced a situation that is comparable, in some ways. When the child became ill and died, David fasted for days. After he had heard that his child had died, he washed himself, ate and worshiped God. Then he said this, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said ‘Who can tell whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child might live?’ But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? . . .” (2 Samuel 12:22-23).

Pleading with God for mercy (as in fasting, praying, etc) is normal (and necessary?) response to bad (or hopeless) situations that we get ourselves into, but even when God doesn’t answer us in the way we want, I think David’s response is correct. We should worship God, because He is the one that gives us things to hold onto.