Why is it that an all-knowing God would create a people who were so needy? When we are born, we are born into a state of constant need. We need our parents, or those who care for us, to do everything for us. We need to be fed and bathed until we can do those things for ourselves. We need to be taught how to survive and to seek shelter and comfort from our care takers when needed. As we get used to our need for parental protection we become comfortable with the circumstance and we happily develop into older children, or adolescents.
As we get older, we begin to obtain a desire for our own freedom from the very ones who have lovingly raised us. This is not a bad thing in itself, depending on how we attempt to gain this freedom. However, it is a catastrophic mistake to assume we no longer need those who have loved us our entire life – our parents. Even in adulthood we still need those who have loved and sacrificed for us. We may not know all that they have done, but we can be sure they have done more than we know. A test of being mature is how we treat those who do love us.
Mankind is never as self-sufficient as he might like to be. There is no such thing as a “self-made” man. We are actually blessed by God with everything we have that is any good in life. Some are blessed in certain ways that others are not. This can be both a negative and a positive, depending on how we use our own talents. After determining what real needs are, we all need to engage in an exercise to discover just how much we need God. Without question God is our greatest perpetual need.
One great reason for that need is because Jesus is our redeemer. All men have managed to destroy their own lives through the abuse and mismanagement of God’s blessings. (Romans 3:23) While the amount of correction at times may vary, we all need it from time to time. (Romans 3:9) Thankfully, God offers His own sacrifice as our redemptive price. (Psalms 34:22) We need to remember to prioritize God because He is truly our redeemer.
A great story on redemption in the Old Testament and possibly in the entire Bible, besides the sacrifice of Jesus, is that of the prophet Hosea. God makes it possible for us to start again with a spiritually clean slate. (Psalms 103:1-5) This was accomplished at the sending of Jesus. (Galatians 4:4-5; Titus 2:11-14)
We need the redemptive intervention Jesus provides for us. Without that, we could never have a new life and be saved from our old one. (Romans 6:1-14) We need God more than a simple article or an eternal sermon could explain. For me to have life, I have to be willing to live in the shadow of the cross of Christ. The more I understand the sacrifice made for me and the reason it was necessary, I find peace, humility and love in His presence. I can do more because I have myself amenable to the resources He provides as a result of my submission to His divine rewards.
Godspeed on your journey!