“Jehovah Jirah”
Rumc-October 17th 8:30 am service
Are you a worrier?
Of the things people worry about a recent study found
40% -- things that will never happen
30% -- things about the past that can't be changed
12% -- things about criticism by others, mostly untrue
10% -- about health, which gets worse with stress.
8% -- about real problems that will be faced
That means if you worry for an hour- 55 minutes is wasted on things that cannot be changed or never happen. That doesn’t seem very efficient does it?
Worry is kind of like fog. Weathermen say that the densest fog covering 7 city blocks- that is like the area between here and downtown between West Street and Blackhawk Street. The densest fog covering 7 city blocks 100 feet deep contains enough water to only almost fill a water glass about 6 ounces. That means that same dense fog over the town of Reinbeck would not quite fill a pitcher.
Worry is like that. It seems to consume us and will completely obscure our vision, but if we collect it up in one place and look at it, it really doesn’t amount to much.
Let me tell you a couple of stories from the Bible.
There was once a man named Abraham. He loved God and worshiped God all the time. Abraham had no children until he was very old. He was very anxious to have a child. Finally Isaac was born.
One day God said to Abraham. “Abraham, I want you to come worship me on a mountain I will show you. And I want you to bring your son Isaac as a sacrifice.” Now that was very hard for Abraham because he loved Isaac very much. He didn’t want to do anything to hurt him. God had never before, however asked Abraham to do anything that would hurt anyone so Abraham listened to God. He got the donkeys, the wood, and his son Isaac and went off to the wilderness. As they arrived, Isaac asked, Father, “We have the wood and you have the fire, but we have no goat. What will we offer to God today?” Abraham told him not to worry. That God would provide. They got off the donkeys, took the wood, and went to make their offering. Abraham took Isaac and tied him up and placed him on the altar and was just about to offer him to God when God said “Abraham! Stop. Stop! Do not offer your son. You have shown that you are faithful and there is a goat in the bushes right in front of you. Use it.” Abraham stopped, gave thanks to God, and called the place Jehovah Jirah- God will provide. Because God took care of him.
How many of you would have spent the whole trip to the wilderness worrying about what you were going to do when you got there? Maybe even being mad at God for putting you in such a predicament? I think I might have even packed an extra sacrificial goat in case I could figure a way out of this mess.
One day Jesus was in the countryside with a crowd. Actually it was a pretty big crowd about, 5000 people. It was suppertime and the disciples told Jesus he should send the people away because there wasn’t enough food for them. Jesus asked for all the bread and fish they had with them. It wasn’t enough. There was a little boy with some lunch leftovers but even with that they didn’t have enough food for 5000 people. Jesus sat down, gave thanks to God, and had the disciples distribute the bread and fish. When everyone had eaten what they wanted and were full, the disciples picked up the leftovers . . . yes there were leftovers enough o fill 12 baskets!
Right then and there I think someone should have stopped to call that place Jehovah Jirah- God will provide. Because God took care of them.
How many of you would have shooed the crowd away? I probably would have said, this is crazy- gotten up and left. And I would have missed the whole show.
A year ago Brandi got sick again and she and her mom have had to drive 4 hours – 3 days a week for dialysis just to keep Brandi alive. For a while we didn’t think she would be allowed to have a new kidney. Then she would be allowed if one were available. Then someone was willing to have an operation to give one of his or her kidneys to Brandi. After many ups and downs it happened. Think about the fact that without the kidney Brandi would have to be on dialysis for the rest of her life. Think about finding someone willing to donate part of their body, and they were a match and it all worked out. Much to her mother’s consternation, she named it Fred- well I think she renamed it Fiona, now. But Fred or Fiona—whatever-- is doing very well. Except I think she should have named her new kidney Jehovah Jirah.
I think that little kidney should be named Jehovah Jirah- God will provide. Because God took care of Brandi.
2 weeks ago I was told that the supper offering for LIGHT was not covering our expenses. In order to make this work for the rest of the school year the church needed about $1260 in addition to the offering in the supper basket. I didn’t know how it was going to work. But I believed that it would. I went that same afternoon to visit someone from the church. We were just visiting about the exciting things that happen here. I told them the problem I had learned about and never expecting anything.
Guess what happened?
The man said “go get the check book and write him a check for $1500 so they don’t have to worry about that.” Now with the supper offerings and that check we don’t have to worry about how to pay for supper. I named that check. Do you know what I named it? Jehovah Jirah- God will provide. Because God took care of us.
It happens over and over again.
I want you to notice something though. Because I struggled with it this week. It doesn’t always seem that God provides.
· Look at the hungry children with distended bellies- tell their mothers “God will provide”
· Look at the wars in the world—the Israeli Palestinian conflict for instance- hasn’t God had plenty of time to provide a solution for that?
· Consider how many young people die of cancer every day. Why didn’t God provide a cure- or remission- or another day for them?
· This week I became aware of two more marriages in Reinbeck that are in trouble. Why doesn’t God provide a solution for them- especially so the children don’t get caught in the middle?
You see what I mean? For me it is not just as easy as saying, “Oh don’t worry. God will provide.” There is nothing easy about these real human hurts and needs. There is nothing easy about trusting God. I’m sorry but
· God’s track record for the hungry in Darfur is not all that great.
· God has had plenty of time to solve the Palestinian-Israeli problem.
· Though God provides healing for some, many die of terrible diseases.
· Try as we might- some marriages end in terrible hurtful- destructive battles.
I almost didn’t write this sermon because I got stuck on those questions. But then in my study and struggle- God provided. God provided two important pieces of information.
First. Notice that Abraham didn’t do nothing and wait for God to do it all. He got the donkeys, and the wood and the stuff to make the trip and set off faithfully.
Notice that Jesus didn’t magically “poof” a 12-course dinner- complete with waiters and entertainment- in front of the crowd. He certainly could have, but instead asked, what do you have- and said, let’s share that.
It seems that God could have healed brandy or multiplied the money in the offering basket to solve those problems too, but instead provided willing generous people who reached out in their own way to solve those problems.
Saying God will provide does not free us of the responsibility to do everything we can. As God’s people, God demands that we work our fingers to the bone to love and care for those around us. God calls us to do everything in our power to reach out and change the world around us whether that is feeding a neighbor, having an aid and assistance fund, donating a kidney, voting for the candidate of your choice next month, teaching children about Jesus, leading a committee in its work, donating to missions, or praying for peace. Trusting God does not relieve us of our responsibility to be kingdom workers.
And second- ultimately we have to trust that God is God, because we are not.
What do I mean by that? I mean the bottom line is we worry about a lot of things and remember what percentage I said we actually face? 8%. Remember that dense that fog over Reinbeck? And how much water is really there? Less than 2 quarts.
Bottom line, we can’t even figure out what is worth worrying about and what is not worth worrying about. Who are we to judge God or tell God what to do?
As I said, we must do everything in our power to change the world, but when we come to the end of what we can do we simply have to trust.
· When you go bowling, you can’t hang on to the ball and steer it down the lane. You have to let go before you cross the foul line.
· As parents we eventually have to let our children walk, ride bikes, and drive on their own. Will they fall, maybe but we can’t hang on to them forever.
· As a carpenter, there was always one more thing I would have liked to change or do differently, but eventually I had to walk away and let the owner move in.
· As a preacher I can study all week, write and rewrite the sermon, pray and practice and work, and make the best presentation I am able, but come 9:15 Sunday morning I have to let go of that message and trust that you will take it from there.
Where will you take this message? You might say that was a nice message on trust, but hand me the steering wheel because I am in charge around here. If that is your response the message in reality might as well have stayed on the paper.
What I am asking you to do is much simpler.
Take that steering wheel and do the very best you can.
Be responsible, loving, generous, and helpful. Speak prophetically, vote hopefully, pray diligently, but when you have done all you can- know that you have done all you can. Step back and let God.
I have never been a big fan of the saying “let go and let God.” It is too passive for me. But once we have given our very best. It is time to “let go.” Let go of our need to control- Let go of our need to be in charge- Let go of our need to fix things- Let go of our need to be God. And trust God to be God.
It is time to let go of ourselves and place our lives in the hand of Jehovah Jireh. The one who provides.
AMEN
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