E49 - Hope’s Harbor Gritty Bible Devotions - Meeting the Greatest Need
Hope’s Harbor
Gritty Bible Devotions
Episode #49
Title: Meet the Greatest Need
Date: April 11, 2022
Contact: info@hopesharbor.net
Key verse(s): I have a number of verses so listen carefully as I read through the Word of GOD and let Him speak to us:
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 3:15 – “…that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16 - “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
Matthew 6:7 - “And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
Matthew 6:8 - "Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.”
Luke 12:29 - "And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.
Luke 12:30 - “For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.”
Philippians 4:19 - ‘And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’
Revelation 3:16 - “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
Revelation 3:17 - “Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—“
Intro: These verses reveal to us in the positive declaration of our needs and in the negative, our needs by showing what we may lack.
Of course, we all have other needs too many to list, but the focus of this devotion is meeting the greatest need. If and when we do this, the Word of GOD reveals the other needs will be met.
Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish a need from desire because in the western world we have so many comforts we take for granted they can seem like a need.
However, the Word of GOD helps us see the difference between need and desire.
Devotion focus: Meeting the Greatest Need
Let me go back to those verses in John where Jesus is visited by a priest named Nicodemus, at night. The priest acknowledges Jesus is from GOD because of the signs Jesus was doing. These signs included healing the lame, sick, and demon-possessed. Jesus also raised the dead, walked on water, and fed thousands with nothing more than a handful of food.
But Jesus, instead of engaging this priest about His feats goes straight to the heart of the matter and tells Nicodemus about his greatest need.
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."’
After the priest questions Jesus about what this means, Jesus tells him how to meet the greatest need.
John 3:16 - “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
When GOD makes a declaration like this, the choice is always ours, of whether to believe and react or not.
Therefore the remainder of this devotion is for those who chose or have chosen to react with belief.
In Matthew 6:7 & 8 Jesus is explaining mindless rituals don’t sit well with GOD.
Why? Well, He goes on to explain how since GOD already knows our needs, empty rituals don’t avail us anything. What does then?
The prayer of faith in believing GOD is a loving Father and will meet our needs.
So why pray if GOD already knows before we ask. Because when we tell GOD our needs, it reminds us just how dependent we are on GOD to meet our needs.
In Western civilization when food is normally abundant it is easy to forget if GOD withholds rain, or commands a crop be destroyed by blight or insects, we would go hungry very quickly.
Our brothers and sisters in some countries know this is true and their prayers are dependent prayers to GOD.
The verses in Luke 12:29 & 30 reveal how the heathen (non-Christian) nations seek after only the basic needs and warn us not to be like that.
In Philippians 4:9 Paul writes a promise to us that GOD will supply all our needs in His Son, Jesus.
Personally, this is a great need… to believe the promise GOD will supply all our needs. If we could believe this at more than an intellectual level, at the heart level, our peace would increase. How does knowledge at the heart level make any difference in our minds? Because it is the heart, the seat of our soul, that makes significant changes in belief.
Of course, this happens in conjunction with the willingness of our minds.
Summary: In setting aside our physical needs for food, clothing, and shelter. We have deeper needs, both emotionally and relationally.
But our deepest need is for GOD. And from GOD we need to know we are loved and are good enough through new life in His Son to receive His welcome to join Him in loving oneness.
Jesus prayed in John 17 for this to happen – oneness with GOD.
Action to consider: It takes a determined mindset to focus on believing GOD has met our need for rescue. That rescue is from the deadly effects of the sin virus infecting the human race.
If you will take the time to study the verses put forth in this episode (they are in the show notes at hopesharbor.net) and study them until they are ingrained beyond your intellect and go into your heart at the soul level, the inherent power contained in the Word of GOD will begin to change you. How much change is up to you and depends on your hunger for more of GOD
Next week’s devotion: What Happens to the Christian Soul at Death?