E48 - Hope’s Harbor Gritty Bible Devotions - What is the Greatest Need?
Hope’s Harbor
Gritty Bible Devotions
Episode #48
Title: What Is Your Greatest Need?
Date: April 4, 2022
Contact: info@hopesharbor.net
Key verse(s): John 3:3 – ‘Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."’
John 15:11 - "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”
Intro: I have a favor to ask – would you go to info@hopesharbor.net and let me know in one or two words what is your greatest need, please? This will help me in the coming episodes if I can address the kinds of issues you’re facing (I’ll keep it anonymous). Thank you –
Our greatest need – would you agree it is a matter of perception, of us understanding the surrounding circumstances of our lives? I believe so.
Although it is easy to find a routine and settle into it without giving much thought to our actual greatest need. The things that are pressing for our attention and money seem great, not wonderful, but important, such as obtaining food, maintaining our shelter, whatever it may be. Transportation comes to mind. And now with rising fuel costs, having enough money to buy fuel just to get to work and back is now a great concern.
All of these and more are needs we must provide for. At least to some degree. But have you ever stopped to wonder about the point of it all? Are our lives here just to survive, as great as that need is?
Jesus addressed this principle in Matthew 6:25 - "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?”
Let’s take a moment to think beyond those needs facing us every day and see if there is a greater need going unmet.
Devotion focus: Looking beyond the obvious
To find the answer requires we go to the beginning of recorded history in the Bible. ‘In the beginning GOD…’ (Genesis 1:1) Eventually GOD created man and woman not only for each other but for Himself. For relationship. GOD met their basic physical needs, of course.
But those needs served a further need… that of communion with GOD. He walked among the garden where Adam and Eve resided. And when they broke the relationship with GOD through disobedience the needs facing them became their primary concern. Adam was banished from GOD’s garden presence to till the ground.
Have you ever farmed, raised crops? It is hard work. When I worked the fields where we grew corn, beans, etc. I figured out I was no farmer, but my stepfather understood the need to grow some of our food because his job didn’t pay enough to feed, clothe, and house us.
My family life was one of necessity, not so much relationship other than that of close proximity (there were 7 of us).
What I didn’t understand as a young man was a relationship with GOD was a great need going unmet. I viewed anything to do with GOD as a chore – going to church when I would rather sleep in on Sundays. Keeping rules about my language, my attitude (this one kept me in trouble at home and school), and keeping up with my obligations to the family and chores.
Hearing about the need to be ‘saved’ preached often I viewed as only a need to avoid going to hell.
As this pattern developed into a habitual lifestyle I was in trouble but didn’t know it. As I grew older, into my 30’s, I was miserable but didn’t know why. I knew something was wrong but didn’t know what it was.
I went through a 3 month period of suicidal depression not understanding what was happening to me.
I think I was 34 years old when I heard a message on Focus on the Family with Dr. James Dobson that changed everything. My life took a different trajectory.
Dr. Dobson was interviewing a psychologist, Dr. Jim Conway I believe it was. Dr. Conway at one point described his own struggles to understand what was wrong with him. This got my attention. A psychologist with problems??
In his attempts to fix himself he obtained several degrees in the field of psychology, a couple of doctorates, and PhDs. Nothing worked. Finally, he submitted to counseling. Isn’t this ironic?
Anyway, at one point he was asked during a counseling session to describe his relationship with his father. He resisted, wanting to stay with the matter at hand, not delve into his past.
Eventually, he told about events from his childhood. I was shocked. His childhood paralleled my own concerning violence from his father. Even methods of punishment were similar involving mental torture by being made to wait for a beating, giving time to dread it.
Bear with me here. The point of telling this is to help you see that sometimes we cannot know our greatest need until it is revealed and this happens a lot of the time when we’re suffering and forced to seek help, to seek answers.
That day when I heard Dr. Conway’s life story was an eye-opening experience of the deepest kind. I began sobbing to the point I had to pull over to the shoulder until I could regain control. You see, it was because in that moment I understood I wasn’t losing my mind, or going crazy. My life was wounded emotionally and mentally by past violence.
I saw my need to get help and soon found a counselor.
Now, I gave this example to draw attention to the need for us to examine life as it is and see if we’ve met that need. And you know something? The need for counseling came to light several years after I yielded myself to the greatest need any person will ever have and it involved eternal destiny.
The point is our greatest needs will change in time only after we meet them from the most important to others as they are revealed.
Summary: Life presents us with unmet needs every day. What are we doing about them? Are we in a happy bubble, living in denial and avoiding facing issues causing us pain and unhappiness?
There is any number of reasons for avoiding painful events from the past. But like cancer, those wounds will grow in pain given enough time. Either you will numb out to the reality of your life, or face spiritual surgery and get help to meet your greatest need for healing. This can be healing for eternity or tomorrow.
Action to consider: Take time to consider and then write down what you understand is your greatest need. Ask yourself, what the next step to address the issue is. Then take that step and then the next one…
Next week’s devotion: A practical look at every person’s greatest spiritual need.