Reminded again that ‘The Lord Provides!

Why is it that I need to be reminded again and again that. . . the Lord Provides!???

At the 2025 LCMS Youth Gathering in New Orleans one of my assignments as a volunteer was to assist those attending the Gathering to build school backpacks and health kits for distribution through Ysleta Lutheran Mission in El Paso, TX, and Juarez, Mexico. The goal was to build and box 2000 backpacks and 2000 health kits. It seemed like a big job to accomplish, even though, we had Gathering participants at the work area from 10:00 a.m. till 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, July 20-22. We estimated that we accomplished about a quarter of our goal on Sunday. We did better on Monday. However, it took heroic efforts, and extra volunteers to approach our goal on Tuesday. Then when we were deep in the middle of our work, Luz Soto, our team leader from Ysleta, told us we would be moving and stacking the boxes for shipment. Our core team consisted of two adult “Ambassador” volunteers, and 3 Young Adult Volunteers to carry what I counted as over 250 large boxes. We ultimately had at least 100 more! I wasn’t sure how we would finish boxing all the backpacks and health kits. Moving the boxes seemed impossible.

However, then we mentioned to a group of church volunteers from Minnesota that we would like help in moving the boxes. The team of about 20 youth and adults got to work. They finished the big job of moving all our boxes in about 15-20 minutes! I was amazed. I felt like I had seen the feeding of the 5000. Luz reminded me, “See, the Lord always provides!”

The first incident in Scripture which has impressed me about God providing is found in Genesis 22. This is the chapter where Abraham is about to sacrifice his son, Isaac. However, the Lord stops Abraham, and a ram for the sacrifice is found in the thicket on top of the mountain. We read in Genesis 22:14, “So Abraham called the name of that place, ‘The LORD will provide’; as it is said to this day, ‘On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided.’" See, like Luz reminded me, “The Lord always provides!”

Do you know that God provided again on that same mountain? The site of Abraham’s intended sacrifice is considered to be the site of the city of Jerusalem, and the site of the temple of the Lord for the Jews. On that mountain, on a hill called Golgotha, God provided again. Abraham did not sacrifice his son, but our Heavenly Father “gave His only-begotten Son” to die on the cross, on that same mountain, to provide for our greatest need. Our sins have separated us from God and stolen our eternal life. But Jesus’ death provides forgiveness. Jesus’ resurrection provides eternal life. On that mountain our Lord provides reconciliation with our Creator and God. The words of Abraham were even more true 2000 years later. “On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided."

The Apostle Paul also teaches us about this provision by our Heavenly Father in Romans 8:32. “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?” (Romans 8:32) Thankfully, the Lord of the universe has provided for our greatest need in Jesus’ life and death and resurrection! Because He has provided for this most urgent need, He is able to provide, and does provide for our other wants and needs.

I had another area where I recently felt a need for provision. Last summer I was in Florida serving First Lutheran Church in Gainesville and I did not get any salmon into our freezer. With the king fishery now being shut down for the most part, and the failure of silver salmon the last two years, I was hoping to harvest some reds, since our freezer was empty of fresh salmon. But, Kathy and Mary and I had volunteered to serve at the LCMS Youth Gathering in New Orleans, July 15-23. The sockeyes started to return when we were in Louisiana. I was wondering if we would miss out on salmon for our freezer again this year. However, do you know that from July 16 when we were at the gathering, to July 28 over 2.3 million red salmon have passed the ADFG counter? 2.3 MILLION! Kathy and I hit our bed in Palmer at 4:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 24. But, I found a way to fish 4 times on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. We now have 29 red salmon processed and vacuum sealed in our freezer. This is a much smaller need or want, but . . . the Lord provides!

The saying teaches that the furthest distance from one place to another is that 12” from our head to our heart. Even though we have learned that our Lord does provide, sometimes, in the midst of the hustle and bustle of this life, we forget. That showed up for me with worry about providing salmon for my family and for our freezer. But, I learned . . . AGAIN. The Lord provides!

So, how is God providing for you? Do you always remember our Heavenly Father’s provision? Or do you sometimes doubt and worry. St. Paul would call on us to remember the words of Abraham, ‘On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided."