THE LORD NEEDS YOU

WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL

AUGUST 24, 2022

TOPIC: THE LORD NEEDS YOU

BY T. O. BANSO

 “And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you loosing it?’ thus you shall say to him, ‘Because the Lord has need of it’” (Luke 19:31 New King James Version).

The best use of life is to live for the purpose for which God created you. But many people live their lives ignorant of the fact that God has a purpose for creating them and they should live for it. They don’t live for God; they live independent of Him. They don’t ask Him what He wants them to do.

Saul had an encounter with Jesus on His way to Damascus during which he was converted. After Jesus had introduced Himself to him as Jesus whom he was persecuting and said that it was hard for him to kick against the goads, he asked the Lord, trembling and astonished, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” (Acts 9:6a New King James Version).  The Lord told him to go into the city and he would be told what he must do. Saul did as he was told. He eventually became a great instrument in the hand of God.

Everyone must realize that He is not on this earth by Himself. He doesn’t exist for himself but for God. Psalm 100:3 says, “Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture” (New King James Version).

God created you and made you for Himself. You are on the earth to serve His purpose. So, He needs you. He says in Isaiah 43:7, “Everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him” (New King James Version). Also in Revelation 4:11, the Bible says, “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created” (New King James Version).

Not only did God create all things, but He also created them for Himself, as the Bible says in Colossians 1:16: “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him” (New King James Version).

Therefore, God needs you to fulfil His purpose for creating you. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (New King James Version). But Satan needs you, too! He is against God and needs you on his side to work against God’s plan for you and His will on the earth. You must not yield yourself to him but submit yourself to God.

The first step is to give your life to Jesus and follow Him. That was what Peter (Simon) and his brother Andrew did when Jesus called them. “Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ They immediately left their nets and followed Him” (Matthew 4:19-20 New King James Version). This is also recorded in Mark 1:16-18. The Lord needed them to be His disciples and they made themselves available. They experienced a new direction in life.

After calling Peter and Andrew, Jesus saw James and his brother John, the sons of Zebedee, in the boat with Zebedee, their father, mending their nets. He also called them and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him (Matthew 4:21-22). Mark 1:19-20 and Luke 5:10 also record this.

Matthew also followed Jesus immediately after He called him to follow Him from where he was sitting at the tax office (Matthew 9:9). Matthew is the same person as Levi the son of Alphaeus whose call by Jesus is recorded in Mark 2:14 and Luke 5:27.  Also in John 1:43, Jesus called Philip and he followed Him. These and others became the disciples of Jesus because He needed them in His ministry as fishers of men (soul winners)

The Lord needs you. If you’re not born again, He is calling you to give your life to Him and follow Him. As you follow Him, His will for your life will unfold. This does not necessarily mean that you must become a full-time pastor. Although the Kingdom of God becomes the centre of your life, the Lord may have other things He wants you to pursue in life for His glory and the good humanity. The Lord uses believers in different ways. “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men” (1 Corinthians 12:4-6 New International Version).

The Lord needs you. Preparatory to Jesus’ triumphant entry to Jerusalem, He sent two of His disciples to a village where they would find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. He asked them to loose it and bring it. “And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you loosing it?’ thus you shall say to him, ‘Because the Lord has need of it’” (Luke 19:31 New King James Version). Nearly the same instruction is also recorded in Matthew 21:3.

They went as Jesus said and replied accordingly when they were asked why they were loosing the colt. They brought the colt to Jesus and He rode on it as He triumphantly entered Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-10), in fulfilment of the prophecy of the Prophet Zechariah (Zachariah 9:9).

Take note of the words of Jesus in Luke 19:31: “Because the Lord has need of it.” The New International Version renders it as “The Lord needs it.” The owners of the colt didn’t object to the disciples taking it away. The Creator needed it. The Lord needs you. You shouldn’t refuse to surrender yourself to His will.

The Lord needs you. Don’t make any excuses. Follow Him and let the dead bury their own dead (Matthew 8:22). Deny yourself, take your cross, and follow Him (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23). As Jesus said, whoever does not take his cross and follow Him is not worthy of Him or cannot be His disciple (Matthew 10:38; Luke 14:27). He is calling you today. He needs you. Respond to His voice. Jesus says His sheep hear His voice, and He knows them, and they follow Him (John 10:27).

Follow Him and serve Him. He needs you. As He rode on the colt, He wants to ride on (use) you, too. Indirectly, the colt shared in the honour Jesus received that day! “Then they brought him to Jesus. And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him. And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road” (Luke 19:35-36 New King James Version).

If you respond to His call, you cannot serve Him in vain. The LORD said in Isaiah 45:19 that He did not say to the seed of Jacob, “Seek Me in vain.” There are earthly and eternal rewards for you (Matthew 19:29; Mark 10:29-30; Luke 18:29-30). God will give different crowns to those who deserve them in heaven (1 Corinthians 9:25; 2 Timothy 4:8; 1 Thessalonians 2:19; James 1:12; Revelation 2:10; 1 Peter 5:4). Jesus says in Revelation 3:11, “Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown” (New King James Version). You will not lose your crown in Jesus’ name.

The Lord needs you but make sure that you live a holy life. God who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, (1 Peter 1:15-16). “Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:21 New King James Version). The Lord needs you.

TAKE ACTION!

If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.

Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.

I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.

PRAYER POINTS: Father, I surrender myself to You, use me for Your glory and the good of humanity. I make myself available as an instrument to use for Your will to be done on the earth. Holy Spirit, help me to be a vessel unto honour. Father, I pray that all those who are instruments in Your hand will be faithful to the end. They shall not lose their rewards.

(For over 800 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org). 

T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org