The Enoughness of God
I don’t know about you but I often say, "Oh no, I can’t possibly do that."
Or "How am I supposed to fit that in?"
Or "I can’t deal with your issues and my issues."
We feel as if we don’t have ENOUGH or we aren’t ENOUGH or we are less than ENOUGH.
Well I am here to tell you that YOU ARE ENOUGH!
What a wild concept, I know, but bear with me.
We are going to be exploring the concept of ENOUGHNESS, in relation to Jehovah Jireh, our Provider God.
Our ENOUGHNESS doesn’t come from anything we’ve done.
No, it comes because we made a decision to put Jesus first, when we accepted Him in so He rules and reigns over our lives.
This song, Jireh, by Elevation Worship and Maverick City , explains the concept of our Provider God so beautifully. It reminds us that He is forever, always and more than enough. And it reminds us of who we are in Christ and that we have nothing to worry about.
"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."
In this this passage of Matthew, we read that we have nothing to worry about because if God can provide for all these things that have a short lifespan, then how much more important are you to God? His plans for us is for our good because He is a good Daddy God, as Matthew 7:11 NKJV tells us “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”
So this song that we just listened to speaks of this good God who provides for all our needs.
Did you know that this song is almost 10min long? But it’s not a chore to listen to because you can feel the anointing on it with every note played and sung.
The main message of this song points to the following concepts:
We are loved
God is our provider and Jehovah Jireh is enough
God is enough, He is actually more than enough
God’s love is not based on us and our performance or under performance, on our faults or our attributes - His love is constant and ever present
God knows everything that we’re going through and He loves us so much that He will do all to care for us
The word ENOUGH is mentioned 72 times in this version of the song.
Phew, that is a lot!
It makes me think that this concept must be important and something to take notice of.
Did you know that there are 330 instances of the word “Enough” in the English Bible?
So, in a year, taking out the days of rest, that leaves us with more than enough, ENOUGHNESS for the rest of the days of the year.
There is enough of God to get us through each day.
Did you just feel a giant weight lift off your shoulders?
I know that I did!
If you are like me, you may struggle with some of the concepts in this song, especially the part where they sing:
“You are enough, so I am enough”
What??
I am enough, because God is enough!
I know, crazy right?
But stick with me here:
God is enough, and if we are made in the image of God, then we must be enough - our Enoughness does not depend on us or how we feel - it just IS because He IS.
My friend Keri Woodall Sallee, the person I heard the word ENOUGHNESS from, explained it this way:
In computer programming you have the "if this, then that" statements.
So let's apply this here:
"If God is enough, then we are enough because we are made in His image!"
Are you getting this?
If you believe that you are created in the image of God, then you must be enough, because He is enough.
Abraham trusted God as Provider in Genesis 22.
We all know the story, God telling Abraham to take Isaac, his promised child, up a mountain in the land of Moriah to sacrifice Isaac there.
“So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." Then he said, "Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering." So the two of them went together. Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" So he said, "Here I am." And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, "In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided."
Jehovah Jireh is the name that Abraham called God.
He also assigned it to the site where God told him to sacrifice his son, Isaac, as a burnt offering. This was God’s way of testing Abraham’s faith and obedience.
God had sent a ram to be offered as a sacrifice instead of Isaac. Abraham knew for certain that God had provided this ram for this purpose and he called the place, “The Lord Will Provide”.
Jehovah-Jireh provided a sacrifice to save Isaac, and that action was a precursor of the provision of Jesus for the salvation of the world.
There are many scriptures that reference God providing for us:
"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,"
"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."
We live in a time where satan tells us that we are never enough.
Society tells us we must strive for more than enough.
We get stuck thinking that we are never going to be enough or we try to be too much to too many people because, "I should be able to do that, right?"
But then we get stressed out because we are actually not meant to be in that space, at that time.
Is anyone else guilty of that? I know I am.
But when we are moving in the things that God leads us to, and on the path He leads us on, He enables us with enough of what we need to do what He needs us to do.
Stop thinking of yourself as less than and not enough.
God is enough, therefore you are enough.
Remember, God is never going to ask you for more than He has already equipped you do do.
If He asked you to start a business, He has equipped you with enough power within you, at this base level, to start a business.
He meets you at the level you’re at and builds you up piece by piece.
You have enough talent and broad expertise and knowledge at this very point.
And as you go along, and learn more things, God works and helps you to hone your skills so that you can do all He has called you to do.
I have just experienced this very thing while starting my new business and ministry.
I could have looked at it and stopped and said, "No God, I can't do this!". Because I had never built a website before, so therefore I didn’t have what it would take to build it.
Right?
But I believe that my God will supply all my needs and He is enough, so I am enough.
The skills that I have accumulated over the years, skills in ministry, technology, bible study, and other training over the years, speaking in front of the church, worship, calligraphy, physiotherapy management, etc., it is all part of the skills that God has placed in me.
All these skills has given me enough of the ability needed to create a website and build this business.
Only because I am moving in the plans that He has for me.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
This verse underpins and cements my knowledge and trust in God, my Provider.
Because of this I was able to rest in the knowledge that God has given and will continue to give me the skills, ideas, knowledge, understanding, and favour to complete what He wants to see accomplished.
I have enough of what I need because I am doing what He has called me to do.
Are you getting it?
Are you seeing the big picture here?
We have enough of what we need because God is enough.
Isn’t it so comforting to know that God knows our needs before we do?
He not only KNOWS our needs, but He provides for those needs because we believe in Him.
God desires for us to carry out His will on earth.
He loves us and He has a good plan for our lives. He wants to bless us so we can fulfil His plan and purpose and in that way we can really enjoy our lives. He tells us who He is, in His Word, and how we can access everything we need through Christ.
The problem is, sometimes we miss out on what God wants to do in in our lives because we turn to people, expecting them to give us what we need, instead of turning to God. We need to go to Him first and let Him determine the best way to meet our needs.
Many of us fall short because we rely on earthly providers, instead of our Heavenly Father.
We plan for something, but don’t invite God into the planning session.
We expect someone else to do something, get something for us, love us, etc. but we don’t consider God’s plan for our lives.
When we seek things instead of God, our focus is not in the right place. Our relationship with God needs to be our number one priority, all of the time, because everything we need is found in Him. When we seek God to know Him more and to learn the right way to live, then we can have confidence that He will take care of everything that concerns us and meet all of our needs.
I know that life is hard, we were never promised an easy life.
But God says in Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
Do you know that the only thing standing in your way of that peace that comes from knowing God as Jehovah Jireh is you, the fleshly you.
So let’s purpose today to take God at His word and get out of His way.
To rest in the knowledge that you are enough and God has equipped you with enough of whatever you need to get through whatever you are going through.
And your Enoughness is not determined by your mistakes or your victories, it is determined by the God in you. You are a daughter or a son of God and your enoughness lies in the fact that you asked Christ into your life.
And that is enough, that is enough.
Let’s pray.
Dear God,
I thank You that there is no situation that is out of Your control.
You are Jehovah Jireh – the Lord Who provides.
I thank You that You hold everything in Your hands and You give me what I need, when I need it.
I thank You that You know my needs before I even ask, before I even come to You with a need.
Heavenly Father, You know my concerns and worries and You have a plan for me. You have the solution and You have the provision. Only You can move mountains to make a way for situations that, I, as a mere mortal, think is out of my control. I ask for Your answer, according to Your plan and in Your perfect timing, to be given for every need that burdens me.
Please forgive my unbelief and for doubting You, for worrying, and for thinking that I have al the answers. Jehovah Jireh, help me to trust You completely and increase my faith.
I thank You, in advance, for Your miracles and for Your provision.
Thank You for blessing me abundantly. More than I could ever imagine.
I trust you this day, and every day, and am so grateful for Your Power and joy that fills my life. Thank you for teaching me to be content in all circumstances. And that I am enough because You are in my life.
I love you Father God, Jehovah Jireh and I put everything into Your hands.
Amen