Keith Battle - Divine Interruptions - Part 3

So, we are in part three of this series called «Divine Interruptions» and «Living Your Living.» The song we just sang really resonated with me; I was looking in the chat and saw people lifting their hands and saying, «Sing, Asia,» and seeing Kenny. I think what would be helpful now is to evaluate whether we believe what we just witnessed. Do we really believe it? It’s hard for God to interrupt us and challenge us to do something we haven’t done before if we don’t truly trust that He is Jehovah Jireh. Are you who you say you are? I like how John the Baptist put it to Jesus: «Are you the one, or should we look for another?» I need to know. And Jesus replied, «You know the blind can see now, the deaf are hearing, the lame are walking, and the dead have been raised. I am who I said I am.»

I’m saying when the rubber meets the road, for you to make a transition in your life to follow God, it requires stepping out of your comfort zone into the uncertainty of trusting God to meet your needs. You really have to believe that if He dresses the lilies with beauty and splendor, how much more will He clothe you? If He watches over every sparrow, how much more does He love you? Do you believe that He is more than enough? We just sang that He is more than enough, yet sometimes, we don’t truly realize He is until we find ourselves without enough. The problem is that nobody wants to be in a state of lack. Who wants to live in a state where they don’t have enough? I want to be in a situation where I have more than enough. When I get paid, I want to have not just enough, but more than enough. I certainly don’t want to be below enough, either; that feels too risky.

However, it is in the gap between what we need and what we have that God does His best work. We often want to sing these truths, but we struggle to live them. Sometimes, He takes us through seasons in life where He wants to provide for us in such a way that we’ll have no doubt about where it comes from. That was You, God. When the children of Israel left Egypt, their living involved making bricks out of straw; that was their life. I’m already in the message—don’t let the music fool you. When they left, they received a form of severance, some money as they departed from Egypt. They had to survive 40 years in the wilderness, trusting God. He had to send them food; God rained down food from heaven, and they got water from a rock. God will provide for you in unusual ways. He might take two fish and five loaves of bread and feed many people with it. God might stretch what you have and help it go a long way. Your kids might not eat as much as they used to when you were working, but now you’re still finding something left over. You’d be surprised how God works to show you He’s got you, that you’re covered, and that He’s walking alongside you, providing for you.

The children of Israel experienced this for 40 years; they never needed new shoes, and their garments never wore out because God provided. Sometimes, God’s provision is His sustenance, the way He sustains us. The question is: Will you trust Him? Because, at the end of the day, the real challenge is whether I am willing to wait on God and trust Him. I hear people say, «He’s an on-time God.» Yes, He is! But we often want God to be early. Nobody wants God to be on time; if I have a bill due on the 10th, I don’t want God to send it on the 10th—that’s too much stress. Send it on the 2nd, so I have eight days to relax. I don’t want to be praying until the 10th. We want to control the narrative, the pace, the timing, and everything because, at the end of the day, we don’t like not being in control.

This is a faith walk; that’s why it’s so challenging. I thank God for our praise team, for giving us that «We Are Zion» song today, and I thank you for being with us today. I’ve already given you point number one: Jehovah Jireh—that’s my first point in today’s message. Jehovah Jireh means God will provide; you can trust that God will provide. The term «Jehovah Jireh» comes from Genesis chapter 22, verse 14, where, on Mount Moriah, Abraham had an encounter with God and experienced His miraculous provision. He named the place Jehovah Jireh. Sometimes, you need to name a place something that reminds you of what God did; he named that place «Jehovah.»