Encouraging Word
A need is defined as a requirement or urgent necessity. We all have needs. If you have an unmet need, then you have a deficit because there is something missing or lacking. You now are motivated to meet that need and it becomes a priority. One cannot be fully satisfied until that need has been fulfilled.
Jesus came to address our needs. Jesus says in Luke 4:18, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news (Gospel) to the poor. Poor here is best defined as “Not having your needs met.” Jesus is the answer to all our needs. Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
We have four basic types of need: Physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual.
Physical needs consist of food, shelter and clothing. In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus says God knows how to provide these basic necessities of life and promises to do so.
There are intellectual needs or questions that mankind has such as origin of life, “Where did life originate” or “Where did all this come from?” You have the question of purpose, “Why are we here and what is life all about?” Then the topic of destiny, “What happens when you die and is there life after death?” The Bible addresses these questions and intellectual needs that we have.
We have emotional needs: we want to know that we are accepted and loved; that we are significant and secure; that we are important and have worth. John 3:16 tells us that God so loved the world that He gave us His only Son to prove that we are loved and have tremendous worth!
Our spiritual need is the most important. We all have a “God-shaped hole” or void in our life that only God can fill. Jesus is the only one that can fill this void and vacuum in our life. John 3:3 tells us that we must be “Born again.” Romans 6:23 says that the consequence of sin is separation from God, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. And Romans 10:13 says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Isn’t it encouraging to know that all our needs are met in Christ?
-Tony Cooper
Celebrating 28 Years of Service as Exec. Director, Jimmie Hale Mission
