In life, we are apt to follow the examples of those that came before us. In particular, parents can often be the primary driver of their children's worldviews, no matter how independent that child may claim to be. My own father strove to be an abundant provider for our family throughout my childhood. His own upbringing in a poor rural area resulted in a set determination to improve his socio-economic position and give his children more opportunities in the world than he had.
I did not grow up in the church but began seeking late in high school. It wasn't until I almost finished college that I professed faith, and a year later before being baptized. Of the attributes or names of God we find throughout the Bible, Jehovah-Jireh “The God who Provides” resonated most strongly to me in those years. Originally found in Genesis 22, Abraham uses the phrase “Jehovah Jirah” to describe the location that the substitute lamb was found. I often think about this attribute of God in stories from Exodus - providing manna and quail in chapter 16 and water from the rock at Horeb in chapter 17. I didn't see God as some sort of cosmic vending machine, but related strongly to this aspect of His Provision for the needs of His people. To this day, my heart breaks most for those in need of physical resources, even though they may be more blessed than I for having learned to depend on God for their daily bread.
God opened my eyes more to the richness of His character by allowing me to experience fatherhood firsthand. Providing is an important role of a father, but I recognize the love I have for each of my three children extends beyond simply providing for them. The depth of my love for my children has deepened my understanding of God’s character in new ways. How great is the love the Father has lavished on us! 1 John 3:1
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