Skip to main content

“God built a needs-meeting system into the universe as a critical aspect of how it runs.”

A thought by John Townsend from his book, People Fuel (p. 17). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

And He knows what we really need.

John says, “What is a need? It is the requirement of a person or a machine or an organization for something essential. If the need is unmet, we experience trouble or damage. Without oxygen, we asphyxiate. Without food, we starve. And without shelter, we freeze or burn. People with strong constitutions can last without these for longer periods than others, but ultimately the need wins out and must be met.”

He goes on, “The more we enter the world of need, whether functional or relational, the better life works.

“The Bible is full of examples of how God interacts with us in the area of needs.

•​ At the creation, he provided food for people and animals (Gen. 1:29).
• ​He gave the people of Israel manna to sustain them on their journey through the wilderness (Ex. 16:31).
•​ Jesus said that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled (Matt. 5:6).
•​ Jesus fed the five thousand (John 6:1–12).
•​ Paul wrote that God will meet all our needs in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19).
•​ We are to receive mercy and grace in our time of need (Heb. 4:16).
• ​If we don’t ask God for what we need, we won’t have it (James 4:2).”

John continues, “I believe that the purpose behind this needs-meeting system is simple: God designed needs in order to foster relationship. When there is a lack on this side of the room and a provider for that lack on the other side, the two connect. They are now related. And that is a good thing. The one who lacks is made whole. The one who provides feels useful. And the two feel connected.

“God didn’t have to do it this way. He doesn’t need the universe or us. He is self-sufficient. He desires and loves us, but we are not essential to him. He could have made it so that we were also self-sustaining little systems, spinning around in our lives without having to reach out for sustenance, support, resources, or love. But he didn’t. He intertwined needs into the way things go.”

And we are so glad that He did, aren’t we? 

Yes, yes!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

“There’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.”

A thought by Bob Goff from his book, Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People ( p. 41). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)   Have you ever built a sand castle or maybe a Lego castle?   Have you? Bob says, “We actually build castles all the time, out of our jobs and our families and the things we’ve purchased. Sometimes we even make them out of each other. Some of these castles are impressive too. Lots of people come to admire what we’ve built over the course of our lives and tell us what great castles we have. But Jesus told His friends we weren’t supposed to spend our lives building castles. He said He wanted us to build a kingdom, and there’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.” Bob goes on, “You see, castles have moats to keep creepy people out, but kingdoms have bridges to let everyone in. Castles have dungeons for people who ha...
Post a Comment
Read more

“When you understand that life is a test, you realize that nothing is insignificant in your life.”

A thought by Rick Warren, (2012-10-23) from his book, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Purpose Driven Life, The) (p. 57). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. To realize that from God’s perspective life is a test goes a long way in determining how you handle your life.   It is important to see that in testing your character is both developed and revealed.   Rick goes on to say that “even the smallest incident has significance for your character development. Every day is an important day, and every second is a growth opportunity to deepen your character, to demonstrate love, or to depend on God.” So there is a God purpose behind each situation in your life.   Even the bad ones are there to strengthen you and develop you.   You see those bad situations are really good ones because they are there for your good. I start each day with a reminder that God is good.   Not every situation that is going to come in my day is good but because G...
Post a Comment
Read more

“Sometimes we think we’re stuck simply because things are hard.”

A thought by Matt Perman, from his book, How to Get Unstuck (p. 52). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the That is a possible trap for many, isn’t it? Matt says, “But if you’re continuing to make progress and aren’t experiencing huge snags, you’re not stuck. Rather, you’re in a dip. “A dip is a temporary hard slog that you will get through if you keep pushing and don’t give up. And pushing through the hard slog is actually the fastest route to the destination. In these cases, you will be especially tempted to bail. Be discerning and able to identify that you’re in a legitimate dip and you’re not a failure.” Matt says another trap to be careful of, “Some people are stuck and don’t know it.” He goes on, “Everything can be going your way, going smoothly, and going quickly. Everything feels and seems wonderful. Yet... you are still headed toward a dead end, a form of getting stuck, if you are leaving God out of t...
Post a Comment
Read more