Often we get frustrated when we are challenged with needs in our lives that exist beyond our capabilities to meet them.  It is in these times that we often wonder what God is doing, especially when the need seems to live long past its welcome!

But what if we started recatagorizing our “needs” as building blocks for God’s Kingdom?  Let me explain!

You might already be asking, “How can a NEED (aka the absence of something needed) serve as a building block for anything?”  To answer that question, please allow me to reference the season in which the nation of Israel was led through the wilderness for forty long years, experiencing daily needs which required daily trust and obedience in God.  Deut. 8:2 says, “And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, and to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.”  Again, in the same chapter, skipping to verse sixteen, it also says, “…that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;”  In other words, needs were allowed to serve a greater purpose!

And what was that purpose?  First, to humble God’s people and to prove them and see if they would keep God’s word under pressure or not.  And second, to eventually do them good at the end.  Meaning, after the testing, trying, failing, repenting, learning, and growing, to inevitably BLESS them.

I know it’s hard to look at our needs as building blocks with which to strengthen our character, but that’s at least in part what God is up to.  But I also want to ask you to think about how the New Testament saints responded to needs in their lives.

The Bible said that they “…had all things common…”  That is, they shared their stuff so that no one in the Kingdom of God lacked anything they needed.  Now, looking at our needs from THAT perspective, it helps us to realize that the existence of needs for the church age also serves a similar purpose it did in the Old Testament; it is testing ground to see if we will “love thy neighbor as thyself”.

As one who sees a need, has the ability to meet the need, and does nothing abut it, what does that say of our character?

On the flip side, as one who is needy, and has NOT the ability to meet others’ needs, but tries to help in our own poverty, what does that say of our character?  Furthermore, how does that strengthen the bonds within the family of God?

Furthermore, what if YOUR need is SOME ELSE’S test?  What if God trusts you enough (like He did Job) to allow you to go without, SO THAT He can give OTHERS the opportunity to step up, thereby strengthening the bond of unity in the body of Christ and forging meaningful relationships that not even Hell can disrupt?

Don’t always assume that it’s about YOU!  It very well could be that God is assembling His armies by bringing the needy and the giver together in such a way that their hearts are nitted together for a lifetime of Kingdom Building!!

I pray this gives you food for thought, and perhaps a little encouragement as well.  Pray GOD’S will be done while you wait on Him to reveal His greatest purpose and plan both for the existence of your need, and the solution to meeting that need!

Pastor Gary Caudill