Pilgrim Ministries

Written summer 1997-

Jehovah -Jireh, You are the One who provides all of my needs! The place on Mt. Moriah where Abraham was willing and ready to sacrifice his precious Issac was called Jehovah -Jireh because You PROVIDED for him there, and in the same way, You are MY Jehovah -Jireh. You are my One who required a sacrifice for MY sins, but You also PROVIDED that sacrifice by the death of Your dear Son on my behalf. Yes, You are my Jehovah -Jireh, my PROVIDER!

Also, it is said in Rom. 8:32"...that (You ) spared not (Your) own Son but delivered him up for us all, how shall (You) not with him also freely give us ALL things." Yes, my God, my Jehovah -Jireh, You SHALL supply all (my) need according to (Your) riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Phil.4"19)

Yes, my Jehovah -Jireh, I want to give testimony that You HAVE met my needs - physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. You have met my needs for food and clothes and shelter. You have also given me of Your grace time and time again to "go on" when I felt I couldn't "go on" another step.

Many years ago when I was experiencing nausea and hypoglycemia" weakness with one of my pregnancies, I wrote in my Bible some words that I know You will remember, Lord. I wrote, "...He will supply grace to not complain and whine even though I feel lousy. He will supply grace to discipline my children and do my work even though I feel lousy. He will supply grace to study and pray even though I feel lousy. (II Cor. 12:9) His grace is made perfect through my weakness! Think of Sandra. Think of those who are pregnant in prison! Give thanks!" Jehovah -Jireh, I made it through that difficult pregnancy by Your grace. Thank You so much!

There have also been special times when You have met our needs for food and clothes and shelter, etc. in special ways! I remember the time my dear husband felt Your calling on his life to take the summer mission trip to London to learn how to witness to the Jewish people and to minster to them there. Thank You so much for supplying the needed funds for that trip. After "scraping and scratching" around, we just barely had the money to buy that plane ticket. It was for us and our children a small step in faith and the real beginning of our trusting in You for all our needs. And then...the "bottom fell out" after he resigned his postition in the church in Hartsville! As You know, until we came to Texas, he had no fulll-time job (just temporary ones and his own business endeavors), but You met our needs one by one, day by day. The going was rough -- VERY ROUGH-- and many times we had to suffer, but we always had food. We always had at tleast one or two decent articles of clothing to wear. In so many miraculous ways You provided transportation and gas, etc. Thank You, dear Jehovah -Jireh! Although we had no money to pay for rent, our girls were able to work in the greenhouses there between our house and the landlord's house in order to pay for our rent. It was hard --oh SO HARD-- and many times I didn't know if we were going to make it, but You were our Jehovah -Jireh! Hallelujah! Remember my cries to You as I prayed down by the creek there as I washed out our clothers? Yes, You remember! You allowed my washing machine to break so that I might really get close to You! Oh, I so well remember the shower and the nice bed in the air conditioned house of my parents after all that. When we had no more church, no more home, no more money, You provided a haven for me and the children. You also provided a place for my dear husband with friends while he looked for a job here in Dalllas. After the difficult living conditions and sickness I had experienced in the old house, I felt like I had been released from a concentration camp. O Lord, thank You that You will not give us more than we can bear!

And...Lord, Jehovah -Jireh, I must stop here and remember all of the ways in which You provided for me. I sit here this morning with a tired, aching body and headache, and I am beginning to realize that I have a great need for sleep. I didn't get enough sleep last night. O Lord, Jehovah -Jireh, would You PLEASE provide a little bit of sleep for me today? May I "make it" till naptime, by Your grace without mentioning to anyone but to You how I feel. That would certainly be an example of Your power in my life, for I have no strength of my own to keep my lips closed. I humbly beg of You for Your grace that I might show others that You are my Jehovah -Jireh today!
In Jesus' name. Amen.

P.S. Lord, here is a P.S. to my prayer. I can't fail to recount how you opened the doors for us to come to Texas to rejoin our husband/daddy and the awe we felt as we stepped into the country "mansion" with numerous rooms and six bathrooms! You PROVIDED the place for us to live -rent free for about 8 months. "I called upon (You) in distress: (You) answered me, and set me in a LARGE PLACE." (Ps. 118:5) You really did! You also PROVIDED the next place and the next place where we are right now. (Both places are in the country, and I thank-you so much for that!) Yes, Thank-You! Thank-You! Thank-You!Your works are SO marvelous; for indeed, who will rent to someone with seven children? And yet, you were so good to PROVIDE for us what we needed-just at the righit time! Once again -thank-You, my Lord!

The joy You gave my dear husband since coming to Texas and the way You have promoted him at work has also been a "miracle" in answer to prayer. "Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place." (Ps.66:12) Thank-You, Jehovah-Jireh!