Growing up in a household full of girls, finding the perfect gift for the men in our lives was always a challenge. Shopping for dad was no exception. When asked what he needed, he would humorously reply, "A million dollars and a barrel of spending money." While amusing, it was an impossible gift to provide and not even a genuine need.
If I asked you what you truly need, could you tell me? Would you even know? Perhaps you have a deep longing, not driven by lust, but by a persistent feeling that won't go away. Maybe your heart is aching or breaking, and you find yourself crying in your sleep or to sleep. A situation might be holding you back, controlling, crushing, or compelling you. Regardless of the effect, a void, emptiness, and longing remain that seem to have no hope or resolution, leaving your world feeling incomplete.
Focusing on circumstances can divert our attention from God. Failing to distinguish between wants and needs makes us prone to praying for our will instead of His (James 4:3). If, upon examining your heart, you find that every action and motive is pure, and the need is essential for your heart's survival, then search to define that need. When the answer comes, you have found the true need of your heart and God's will for you.
Man may struggle with such a bold statement, but God does not. According to Jesus, it causes others to suffer when they are told they cannot come to Him. God created us to have needs, not counting them as sinful or selfish. Without them, we would have no way of knowing our need for God or how much He loves us.
When we hurt, God hurts, just as any loving parent would. Taking residence in the Christian heart, when our spirit is wounded, the Spirit is wounded. Your heart cannot be touched without it touching the heart of God!
Any time our heart is pure (1 John 3:21) and feels pulled, grabbed, tugged, or touched from within, God has placed it there. That is God and His desire as well. Keeping our heart in tune allows us to 'know' His perfect will in all things (as the Spirit bears witness and is truth, 1 John 5:6), giving us the confidence to believe, receive, stand, take steps of faith, walk away, and trust God to meet the need, each according to His divine instruction.
God is for YOU (Ezekiel 36:9), forever caring in matters of the heart (Proverbs 4:23).
Understanding and addressing the true needs of our hearts is crucial for our well-being. By focusing on God and maintaining a pure heart, we can align ourselves with His will and find the fulfillment we seek. Remember, God is always for you, caring deeply about the matters of your heart.
© by Joyce C. Lock
This writing may be used in its entirety, with credits intact, for non-profit ministering purposes.
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