The rewards of going to the mountains begin when we start to see the provisional hand of God on our lives.  When Abraham, with a heavy heart and heavy steps, trekked up the side of a mountain with his son Isaac beside him, their purpose for the journey was no secret.  They were on their way to worship God through sacrifice.  However, it was the object of the sacrifice that was unknown to young Isaac as he looked up at his dad and asked innocently, “I see the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Faithful Abraham responded simply, “God will provide.”

Indeed God did provide.  On the side of that mountain, just seconds before Abraham’s knife was to pierce the skin of his son, an angel of the Lord stopped him.  The faithfulness of Abraham was evident, and he looked up to find a ram, caught by the horns, which he sacrificed instead of Isaac. “So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, ‘On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided’” (Genesis 22:14).

That is a line of truth we should all voice regularly as we seek to meet God in the mountains.  On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.

There are a few things that we must understand about the Lord’s provisions.  For starters, provisions are not the same as blessings.

When the Lord provides, it means that he meets our needs.  And the standard for those provisions is not what we think we need, because those “needs” are often blurred by our wants and desires.  Rather they are what God thinks we need. You may think you “need” a husband or a job or a new home, but be confident that God knows what we really need better than we do.

The second thing to learn about God’s provisions is that they cannot be rushed.

I’m sure Abraham would have really appreciated it if God had stopped him in his tracks at the bottom of the mountain rather than at the top. Before he tied his son to the altar.  Before his fingers gripped the handle of the cold knife that was set aside to do the unthinkable.  But God did not provide the ram for them until they needed it.

I’ve heard it said before that while God is never late, he sure has missed a few opportune times to be early!  But that’s the awesome thing about God.  He is never early, and he is never late.  He is always, miraculously, right on time.  And he will meet our needs according to his perfect schedule, not our tainted ones.

And lastly, God’s provisions are not our security.  Our security lies in the Provider, not in the provisions themselves.

When the Israelites were wandering in the desert, the Lord provided manna for them to eat.  Every morning they woke up and found a day’s supply of manna waiting for them outside.  Those who tried to gather more than a day’s share found it would spoil and rot. They could not store up their food for days to come because the Lord wanted to teach them to rely on him, the Provider, and not on the manna itself, the provision.

Going to the mountains regularly will allow us to experience God’s provisions firsthand.  You may look ahead to another two, five, or ten years of being in your current situation and think that you don’t have what it takes to make it.  And you’re right.  You don’t have what it takes to make it through another summer of June weddings or another round of chemo or another Christmas without a job.  But you do have what it takes to make it through today, because that’s how God provides.  He provides what we need when we need it and as we need it.

On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.

Q: Think of a time when you really noticed God’s provisions in your life.  What was the need?  How did he provide?  According to Philippians 4:19, how many of your needs does God promise to meet?