TD Jakes - Provision Is a Place
Hey everybody! I’m back in the service of the Lord with you, and I’m delighted to be here. I believe that God has given me a word that is truly going to speak to you in a profound way. I don’t want you to miss not one jot or tittle of what I’m going to share tonight. I’m glad that you’re here, I’m appreciative of your support, and I’m grateful to God that you’ve enjoyed the worship service, the praise, and the wonderful music that has enveloped this teaching experience tonight.
Now, I want you to turn your attention to the Word of God. When you do, I do not want you, as I said earlier, to merely be a hearer. I want you to go deeper than that. I want you to truly prepare your mind, spirit, and attitude to receive from God’s Word. This may mean writing down some insights. It’s nice to make a comment; it’s better to ingest the information. While sharing your thoughts with everybody is nice, it’s even better for you to be a student tonight and come to this with the intent to learn something that you can apply after this is over. But before we dive deeper, let me pray over your gifts today. If you’ve sown already, I want to pray for you. If you have not sown, throughout the rest of the Bible questions, as we always do, there will be prompts for you to take part in the opportunity to sow. It is not just a responsibility; it’s an opportunity to determine the level at which you receive. Let’s pray.
Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for blessing both the seen and the unseen, those that can be measured and counted, and those that are intrinsic to our experience with You. I thank You for the kinds of blessings You give us that often go unnoticed, like health, strength, breath, air, mobility, movement, peace, tranquility in the night, a good night’s sleep, and things that cannot be bought. In addition, You supply all of our needs according to Your riches in glory and some of our wants, and I claim it right now in the name of Jesus. Somebody doesn’t need a check; they need a healing. Whatever they stand in need of, I thank You for the supernatural return in the name of Jesus. While I’m praying, Lord, bless the Word as we delve into it tonight, and let it truly bless someone. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Okay, are you ready? I’m ready. This is what we’re going to talk about tonight. Let me read the text first. I’m going to Matthew chapter 2, verses 13 through 21. Matthew chapter 2, verses 13 through 21. If you’ve noticed lately, I have been preaching like it’s a Sunday morning. I preached about Jesus when He was 12 years old and shared a wealth of information about the turning point. I’ve been teaching on leaning into uncertainty. I’ve covered a lot of topics, but all of them are set after the birth of Christ, and tonight I’ll ultimately end up at the birthing place of Christ. I’m getting closer to it as the season draws nearer. Someone called me and asked, «What are you going to be preaching about?» I said, «I’m going to be preaching about Jesus.» They replied, «Not fair; give us more details!» But I’m just talking about Jesus.
Now, I’ll read from Matthew chapter 2, verses 13 through 21: «And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, 'Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt.' He says, 'Be thou there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.' When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night and departed into Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 'Out of Egypt have I called my son.' Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceedingly wroth and sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem. He killed all of them—all the children! Can you imagine that? He killed all the children that were in Bethlehem and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, 'In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.' But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, 'Arise and take the young child and his mother and go into the land of Israel; for they are dead which sought the young child’s life.' And he arose and took the young child and his mother and came into the land of Israel.»
Oh my God, that’s so good! I just can’t help but be moved by things like that. But tonight, I’m going to be talking about provision is a place. Now, when we think of provision, we don’t necessarily think of a place. We might think of food as provision, housing, money, or companionship. But tonight, I want to suggest to you that those are elements of provision. However, from a theological and biblical perspective, provision is more about place than it is about things. It’s more about place than it is about products. The place of provision—provision is a place. Say that with me: provision is a place.
To put our text in context, this is after the birth of Jesus Christ, who was born in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid down in a manger. The wise men had come to seek Him, sent by Herod to find Him so that Herod might destroy Him because He is said to be the King of the Jews. This is a political matter, and they want to eliminate Him while He’s still in His embryonic stages, before He develops and becomes a threat to the throne. The presence of all these Jews expecting a king is a problem for Herod. He didn’t want that rumor to rise and contest the authenticity of his leadership, so he seeks to eradicate Jesus while He is still in His embryonic stages. This is the dilemma associated with dreams and dreamers: when people know that something in your future threatens them, they will attempt to cut you off early, before you ever get to that place.
Now, let’s talk about what happened when the wise men returned without having killed the baby or identified where He was. Herod knew he had been tricked, and he was furious. Then the angel comes to Joseph, Jesus' stepfather, for lack of a better term, and Mary, His mother, and instructs them to take the child and flee to Egypt. There are several points I want to discuss tonight that I believe warrant our serious consideration.
First, I want to address the protection of God. In this story, Jesus is told to flee from Herod when, in fact, God could have destroyed Herod. Why does the protection of God exist rather than eliminating the peril confronting us? You see, Jesus didn’t come back to Israel until Herod was dead. God could have taken Herod out, and it would have been over. None of the babies that Herod later killed would have been lost, and it could have been simpler. But God does not always remove the peril to provide protection; He allows us to be safeguarded in perilous environments because there’s something we learn from being protected that we do not take for granted if the peril is removed.
If Herod had dropped dead, for instance, it wouldn’t have been as dramatic as witnessing God’s protection amidst peril. Those of you watching me tonight have seen the protection of God in times of peril. I wish to God He would eliminate the peril. I don’t like peril—I don’t like the virus; I don’t like the killings; I don’t like the shootings. But some of us, God has chosen to protect in the middle of peril. He doesn’t resolve everything we want fixed. Instead, He allows us to face certain obstacles and be surrounded by threatening forces, yet He makes provision to protect us in the midst of peril.
Consider your life, especially those of you who constantly lament about the peril, always speaking about how bad things have become—how this has been a year from hell. I wish I could get through 2020. Slow down a moment; don’t rush through years because you might wish you had them back later. I know it’s uncomfortable; I know it’s not idealistic; I know it hasn’t gone as you envisioned, but God has protected you in the peril. Don’t discard the year merely because God chose to protect you instead of removing the peril.
Sometimes God allows us to find ourselves in perilous circumstances so He can demonstrate how strong He is by protecting us amidst it. This creates gratitude, worship, thanksgiving, and honor. Some of you listening to me right now grew up in perilous times; you have faced dreadful situations that I wish you had never had to endure. You wonder where God was and why He didn’t stop the peril. But He protected you in the middle of it, even if it meant you had to flee to Egypt.
Now, as we dive deeper, very little is said about what occurred with Jesus while he was in Egypt. He was just a baby, and we have scant information about what transpired with Mary or Joseph while they were there. How did they sustain themselves? Where did they stay? Who did they meet? What happened? We don’t receive that information; it’s just a sliver of truth sandwiched between the bread of the Gospel that becomes our sustenance to digest and understand how God allowed His only begotten Son to be a runaway, to be exiled, to have to flee like Mephibosheth was dropped by the nurse fleeing. He allowed Mary and Joseph to carry a baby in a runaway situation, escaping Herod, who was incensed and prepared to destroy Him.
One of my favorite hymns, «Sweet Hour of Prayer,» calls me from a world of care and says, «I’ve often escaped the tempter’s snare by Thy return, Sweet Hour of Prayer.» How many times has the enemy set a trap for you and God snatched you out through warnings or circumstances? He permitted you to flee from peril, showcasing how sometimes He operates. When He does, we must honor and comprehend it. Jesus goes to Egypt, and much can be said about this because Egypt in the Bible traditionally does not always represent a favorable place.
You remember how the children of Israel were in Egypt for 400 years in slavery and servitude. Yet, what was perilous at one moment in their lives becomes protection thousands of years later. Jesus flees Israel for safety in Egypt from Herod’s hand. Isn’t that how the children of Israel got there initially? They were fleeing a famine with Jacob and his sons, ultimately ending up in Egypt because Joseph was there. God is now using Egypt as a place for protection and provision in an unprecedented way.
What I want you to consider early on—and this is the groundwork for everything I’m going to discuss today—is not to get stuck on the idea that this is a good place and that is a bad place. What you should ponder in terms of any place is whether there is grace present there. It’s not so much about the place if it doesn’t convey grace. Periodically, God has used Egypt in gracious ways, even though it wasn’t graceful, did not serve Jehovah, and did not even believe in Him. God utilized the world graciously to protect Jesus. Had Jesus been raised in the church environment I was raised in, He wouldn’t have allowed Himself to venture into Egypt because that was «worldly.»
However, sometimes God takes you into unsuspected places to shield you from what you might encounter in your place of comfort. So, Jesus flees to Egypt, and for two years He remains there. The angel instructs Joseph, who has the responsibility of caring for them, to take the child and his wife and flee to Egypt until God signals it’s safe to return. You must understand that some of the protection we experience is predicated on obedience. Often, we want God to protect us in our disobedience, but the reality is Joseph wasn’t safe if he didn’t obey; consequently, Jesus wouldn’t have been saved, and Mary wouldn’t have been saved if they didn’t obey. I’m wondering sometimes if the times we have been violated and compromised, and the times we have been consumed, have resulted from our failure to heed the warnings that preceded those events.
The only way we’re going to be safe is to learn to obey. Obedience, of course, is something we no longer like to teach. We don’t teach our children that anymore, nor do we learn it in school. We don’t demand it of people; we don’t expect it of people—just simple obedience. Joseph didn’t ask any questions. «How long will I be there? Where am I going to stay when I get there? What job do you want me to have?»
He just took his wife and child and obeyed. Sometimes, you can’t ask God to fill in all the blanks; you’ve got to be willing to obey with limited information and trust God that what He has told you to do is the best thing for your house, job, or whatever it might be. It doesn’t matter. What matters right now is that I go to the place that God said to go because wherever God said to go, that’s where the grace is. Even though I’m in Israel, a place that is supposed to be holy, there is no grace for me here right now. I must go to Egypt because that’s where the grace of God exists for me.
You remember the song we used to sing years ago: «The safest place in the whole wide world is in the will of God»? So let us stay in the will of God. The safest place for us to be is in the will of God, wherever that may be, whether it’s on a cross or receiving a crown. The safest place to be is in the will of God, whether it’s in Jerusalem or Cairo in Egypt. It does not matter; the safest place for me to be is to flee into the will of God, as the will of God will guide me, you, and us to a place of protection.
Now, today there’s a lot of talk about faith; if you have faith, you won’t wear a mask, and if you don’t have faith, then you will. A lot of people are flaunting the fact that they have faith by refusing to wear a mask. Imagine had Joseph said, «I believe in God so strongly that I’m going to stay right here,» and disobeyed the plain instructions that could have kept him safer. Imagine if he had absolved himself of any responsibility to heed the warning to flee and stayed carelessly to tempt God. We learn later, when Jesus is in the wilderness, that when you put yourself in compromising situations on purpose, you tempt God. Remember when the devil said to Jesus, «Cast yourself down off this mountaintop, for it is written that the angels will bear you up,» and Jesus rebuked him, saying, «Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God»? There is a turning of stones into bread. Jesus insists that man shall not live by bread alone, saying, «I’m not going to use my faith to show off.» Think about that.
We’re going deeper into this; I hope you’re getting something out of this tonight—it kind of excites me. The other thing I want you to know is that the protection of God often lies outside of our norms. For Moses, it was leaving the safety of his home as a baby to be wrapped in an ark and placed in a river. That is outside of our norms. The protection of God can often be found in places we are not accustomed to. Sometimes we miss this protection because we cling too closely to familiar surroundings; we want to stay near home, surrounding ourselves with what’s normal or familiar to us. But sometimes, God will move you outside of your norm to protect you because the devil hunting for you is looking for you to be in a predictable place. Sometimes, God will lead you to flee into an unlikely position, but you must have the courage to value God’s voice more than your own comfort.
The voice of the Lord spoke through the angel to Joseph and Mary, saying to flee your norm and enter Egypt as immigrants, and to stay there until He tells you to return. I want to speak to someone tonight who needs to cross borders. You’ve always stayed within close parameters; it’s time to expand your horizons. I spoke to a lady the other day, about my age, who had never been on a plane. I told her she must take flight, even if it’s just for 45 minutes. You can’t end up in a nursing home wondering, «What would have happened if I had left my neighborhood?» You can’t just live and die without leaving your block. It’s reminiscent of a slave mentality. Do you not know that our ancestors ended up on plantations, often living and dying there without ever leaving? They were not even allowed into the city, and if they went anywhere, they had to carry a notice to walk the streets. Thus, most of them never saw beyond the plantation.
Has the enemy got you locked up in a metaphorical plantation where you’re stuck at the start? Are you enslaved by fear, preventing you from escaping mediocrity, compromise, unhappiness, or danger simply because it feels familiar? You’d be surprised at how many people remain in abusive situations just because it’s familiar. They stay in hostility because of that familiarity; they remain in their circumstances because they’ve built a sociological construct around it, knowing all the rules and how it operates. Even though God is urging them to flee into the next dimension of life, they won’t cross the border.
You are entering a season where, to receive what God has for you, you’ll have to cross some borders. The language may be different, the customs may vary, the food may be foreign—Egypt meant a different religion, different people, and completely different customs. But God’s grace was with those fleeing to Egypt. You wouldn’t think God would send His son to Egypt. Come on, these are not Hebrews or Jehovah’s worshipers; these are not people who have read the Torah or celebrated the feasts of unleavened bread. These are idolatrous people. Yet, God hid glory in carnality. We will see this pattern through scripture, where God places His treasure in earthen vessels. He embeds His goodness in filthy places; He places the divine in human contexts, something celestial in something terrestrial. God sent Jesus into an idolatrous land to protect Him from evil, hiding this holy being within a filthy environment. But God ordered it; He had grace for Him in that unlikely place.
I don’t know who I’m talking to tonight, but sometimes God will place you in situations you find uncomfortable. However, He does so because He has given you the grace to thrive in that circumstance. Now, let’s go to the text. After two years, before we delve into that, I need to address the fact that Herod began killing all the children in Bethlehem, and God didn’t stop him. Every child two years old or younger was killed in his quest to find Jesus. It’s one thing to read this, but if the pandemic taught us anything else, it’s to bring the text to life.
Imagine if all your neighbors with small children suddenly had their babies taken from them by people wielding swords. Imagine the trauma, pain, and vulnerability of all those families grieving the loss of their children in Bethlehem. Bethlehem means «the house of bread.» Where is the bread? The bread has fled to Egypt, and all those left behind, who had children ages two years or younger, are burying their little ones. The wailing rising from Bethlehem is unbearable yet prophetic. It is disconcerting but divinely orchestrated.
I hate to say it, but I’m not claiming that God killed the children; I’m saying He didn’t stop it either. We must stop making excuses for the things God allows to happen that He does not prevent. He is aware of them because He’s God and sovereign. He did not promise us pleasure without pain, sunshine without rain. He did not guarantee us utopias in this present world. That is why we groan and travail in this life; sometimes there is no justice. Sometimes there is no righteousness, no peace; sometimes dignity and morality are absent, and the sight of wicked people prospering is disturbing. You wonder where God is in all this, yet He allowed it to unfold. Herod killed every mother’s child, snatching them out of their arms, causing terror in Bethlehem. Finally, Herod died, and when he did, the angel appeared to Joseph in Egypt and said, «It’s okay to come back now; the one who sought your life is gone.»
Justice may not happen quickly or conveniently, but it will always occur. Truth crushed to the ground will rise again. After you have suffered a while, God will establish you and make you perfect. You may endure a season where it appears that all hell is breaking loose, but when it is safe, God will bring you out. The angel spoke to Joseph and said, «It’s time to come back.» The Bible says, «Out of Egypt have I called my son.» I realized as I read this that I have seen this before—not just with Jesus, but when the children of Israel were led out of Egypt. God sent plagues and said, «I will plague and destroy your sons until you let My son go.» He called Israel His son, His firstborn, and now He is calling His only begotten Son out of Egypt. The words of the prophet are being fulfilled: «Out of Egypt have I called My son.»
What we saw happen in Israel during the Exodus from Egypt was merely a shadow of Jesus' coming out of Egypt, where He had been exiled and hidden. God will hide His people in unpredictable places. Think of the God who hides Moses right in the house of Pharaoh who sought to kill him; He hid him in plain sight. God will conceal His people in the most unexpected situations for a season, and when that season is over, He will call them out. He calls us out; He says, «I’ve had it. I’ve dealt with your enemy. Your enemy is defeated. I call you out.» That’s what Jesus did on the cross. He defeated our enemy and then called us out as the sons and daughters of God.
The term «sons of God» here is genderless; it does not refer to gender but to our placement in the kingdom. «I call you out. You’ve been in hiding long enough. I call you out. The coast is clear. I call you out. I’m getting ready to use you in a unique way. I call you out. I’m ready to stir up the gifts that lie within you.» Now, Egypt comes forward with this son leaving Egypt and returning to the Promised Land, going back to where God had called them from. God often sends you back into spaces you were called out of because grace is shifting. Herod is now dead, and the angel has spoken to Joseph. He arose, took the young child and his mother, and returned to the land of Israel.
Have you ever considered that sometimes God guides us to a place to hide us? That sometimes He leads you to a place not to expose you but to hide you until the storm passes and the trouble has passed? Have you ever thought that God might use the place of your bondage as a means for your deliverance? Sometimes, God will place you in a church and conceal you there—not to expose you, change the church, or run the church—but to help you hide, breathe, grow, and mature. So when He is ready to use you, you will be fully prepared to meet the challenges of your identity.
A conversation we’re having in Bible class; we’re having a good time tonight as we explore the fact that provision is a place. This begs the question: Are you in the place of your provision? Not in your comfort, not with your family, not within your culture—are you in the place of your provision? Because the place of your provision may be outside of your camp, beyond your circle, away from your friends, and certainly away from your norm. Do you trust God to show you the place? Now, I’m going to go just a little bit deeper; I’m almost finished. I hope you’re enjoying this.
In Genesis chapter 22, we return to Abraham. Abraham has been instructed by the Lord to take his son, his only son, to a place that He will show him. In Genesis 22, it says, «I want you to go into the land of Mount Moriah and offer there a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell you of.» I’m not going to tell you now—when you get there, I will tell you.
Okay, in verse 3, in the B clause of verse 3, Isaac, the son, claimed the wood for the burnt offering and rose up to go to the place that God had told him of. In verse 4, on the third day, Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off. We see it again and again. In verse 9, they came to the place which God told him of, and Abraham built an altar there, laid the wood in order, bound Isaac, his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. Abraham stretched forth his hand and took the knife to slay his son; come on! The angel of the Lord called unto him from heaven, saying, «Abraham, Abraham!» and he responded, «Here am I.» The angel said, «Lay not your hand upon the lad, neither do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, seeing that you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.»
Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked; behold, there was a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. Watch this! Abraham called the name of that place «Jehovah Jireh,» as it is said to this day, «In the mount of the Lord, it shall be seen.» Good God Almighty! Abraham called the name of the place Jehovah Jireh, which means «God will provide.» Abraham named the place, not the name of God. He called it Jehovah Jireh.
I want you to understand that provision is a place, and you may have to search for it, walk for days for it, and pray for it. But when you get to that place, the ram is always waiting for you. Some of you need provision; some of you right now need protection. Some of you need the assurance of knowing that God has you covered. You’ve been in a time of uncertainty, vulnerability, and attack, but there is a place. Provision is a place, and there’s grace on that place. God has a place for you, and I’m praying for you.
As we embark upon 2021, you will not spend another day within the reach of your Herod who is trying to destroy you. God will cause you to flee to the place He has for you, even if you have to search for it like Abraham, even if you have to get into the unknown like Moses. Ultimately, when everything is said and done, you must understand that provision is a place.
I’m praying that God will speak to you like He did to Hagar, who was about to die with her son. God said, «Go back to the place and serve Sarai, your mistress,» because the provision you need in the desert is not in the desert; it’s in Sarai’s house. You have to go back, humble yourself, and get to the place of your provision.
I don’t know who God is speaking to today; I don’t know what He is saying to you, but I’m saying to you right now, provision is not an attitude; it’s not a job; it’s not a salary; it’s not a house; it’s not a car; it’s not a penthouse suite; it’s not annuities; it’s not investments; it’s not stocks; it’s not a full freezer; it’s not an overflowing pantry. Provision is a place in God. Don’t stop till you find the place. I don’t know whether it’s an abundant place or not, but I do know it’s a place of provision. When Abraham found the place, the ram was waiting for him there, and he called that place Jehovah.
Tonight, I’m teaching that provision is a place. I call the name of that place Jehovah Jireh, and I’m praying for you that you would find that place of God’s eternal provision. I pray that He would speak to you in such a definite and profound way that you will stop lollygagging in all these other places that have distracted you, arguing with these Herods that will soon be dead. Obey God and flee to the place, for that’s where the grace is—provision is not a person; it’s a place. I want you to find that place tonight.
As we close, if you’ve just joined us and want an opportunity to sow, I challenge you to do so. We’re coming to the end of this broadcast discussing provision—you need the provision of God. You just need to be in the place where the provision is. That’s why I believe the Bible says, «Acknowledge Him in all your ways, and He shall direct your path.» I would rather have His direction than anything else at all because He will direct me to the place of my provision.
Your increase is in the place of your provision, your peace is in the place of your provision, and your ministry is at the place of your provision. I don’t want to preach anywhere He doesn’t want me to be. I don’t want to go just because you invited me; I want to be where He wants me to be because provision is a place.
As we come to the close of the service today, I want to pray not only for those who are sowing and seeking God for guidance and direction, but also for those who have willfully been belligerent, disobedient, and gotten into all kinds of trouble because you were too stubborn to submit and return to the place God called you to be. Your rams are waiting for you, your blessings are waiting for you, your healing is waiting for you.
I know you’re gifted, but your gift will not work until you get to the right place. I know you have contacts, but your contacts don’t mean anything if you’re not in the right place. I know you went to school, but that degree will not help you until you get in the right place. Provision is a place—say it with me, «Provision is a place.» Say it again, «Provision is a place.» Now, God, show us the place. We repent of our stubbornness, rebellion, misguided, and sometimes innocently confused ways that got us off track and led us astray.
All we like sheep have gone astray, turning to our own ways, but today, God, like prodigal sons, we leave the hog pens of life and return to the place. For I would rather be a servant in the place than to be free in a hog pen surrounded by pigs. I pray for the backslider; I pray for the sinner, for the soul closest to hell, that they would turn around tonight and come home where the table of the Lord is spread and the feast of God is going on. My friend, you will not find your provision out there. Others may have, but that’s okay for them— you belong to God. Your provision is a place.