Day 13

“Mom, I need a new bike.” “Dad, I really need a new computer.” My favorite response to these statements from my kids has always been, “Do you NEED it or do you WANT it?” What do I truly need? “God, I need to be able to pay this bill.” “God, I need more time in my day.” “God, I need _____________.” How would you fill in that blank? More importantly, how would God fill it in? What is it God would say I really NEED? It might be considered presumptuous of me to answer for God, except that He has made it so abundantly clear in His Word. “God, I need YOU.” That’s it. Period. I may WANT many other things, including the basic necessities of this life, but what I truly NEED is the Father. The prodigal son learned this. In Luke 15:14, we are told that the younger son “began to be in need.” Verse 17 goes on to tell us “he came to his senses.” It’s interesting to me, that though physical hunger prompted the need, food is not what the son asked the father to supply. Instead, he asked for a job, to be like one of the hired hands. And he confessed his sin and asked for forgiveness. He just wanted to be near his father again. Tough times expose the needy places in us, but we all too often don’t see past the physical. Then we are destined to repeat the same sequences over and over as God tries to reveal our truest need: HIM. I’m amazed at how “less tough” times are when I seek God instead of solutions or things. Many times the circumstances don’t change, I change. I just want to be near him again. May that be enough, Father.



Julie Hallman