TODAY’S WORD FOR THURSDAY FEBRUARY 25, 2016.
NECESSITY
A requirement or need for something; something essential for existence; the state or fact of being inevitable; compulsion; something necessary or indispensable.
Yes, you know that these things have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me. Acts 21:34.
For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities. Philippians 4:16.
Do you realize that there are only really two necessities for our physical life? These necessities are food and water. One of the definitions of necessities is something that is essential to existence. But we all feel that there are many other necessities in life. These may include a place to live, clothes, money, and even a vehicle and a job.
One of the issues in life that we took time to teach our children about was the difference in something we needed and something we wanted. We often had to face situations when our children’s peers received expensive designer labeled clothes or often even a new car of their own.
Our children would have liked to have had such things but these were things that we could not afford to get them. Our children had clothes to wear and could borrow our car when needed. As a family we were blessed to have what we needed. And more important to us was that our children knew they were just things and understood our financial status.
It was necessary for us to teach our children to make decisions based on needs and not on wants. Our children learned through us, because we had to live on a tight budget, the importance of making wise decisions in spending money so that our needs would be met, and they always were.
In John 6:1-14 we read about the feeding of the 500. Large crowds followed Jesus wherever He went and Jesus knew the spiritual needs of these people who came to hear Him. He spent time talking to them and giving them His message of love and redemption.
It was nearly time for the feast of the Passover and Jesus climbed a hill and sat down with His disciples and the crowd followed. Jesus looked at the crowd and saw the necessity of finding food for the people as they had not eaten for some time. They had followed Jesus because they were hungry spiritually. Jesus knew their spiritual need but he also knew their physical need for food.
Jesus then asked Philip, “Where can we buy bread to feed these people?” Jesus already knew what He was going to do to meet this necessity but He wanted to stretch Philip’s faith. Philip realized that it was impossible to get that much food for everyone. You know the rest of the story. Jesus took the five loaves of barley bread and the two fish that the young boy had with him and fed all the people all they needed and still had twelve large baskets of leftovers. Yes, Jesus knows our every need, both our necessities and our wants. He is willing and ready and more than able to meet our every need.
The apostle Paul never wanted to be dependent on anyone and no matter where he travelled he worked to provide for his own necessities. We read in Acts 20:34 that Paul did have times when he was in need of help. In Philippians 4:16 he wrote while he was in prison to thank the church at Rome for the gifts they had sent to meet his needs. God knows our needs and He often uses others to meet our needs.
In II Corinthians, Paul reminds us of the importance of giving back to God a portion of what He gives to us. “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” Paul says to us that we should never give out of necessity because we feel we have to, but because we genuinely want to give cheerfully from our heart. God uses us to supply the needs of others when we are fully surrendered to Him.
Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 14:12.
There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.
Thank You Lord for providing for me and my family all the necessities of life. You have blessed us far and beyond our needs and we are so grateful for Your blessings.
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