THE LORD NEEDS YOU

WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL

MARCH 29, 2021

TOPIC: THE LORD NEEDS YOU

BY T. O. BANSO

“Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here. And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you loosing it?’ thus you shall say to him, ‘Because the Lord has need of it’” (Luke 19:30-31 New King James Version).

One of the events that preceded the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus Christ was His triumphal entry to Jerusalem. As He drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, on the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples ahead.

Jesus told them, “Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here. And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you loosing it?’ thus you shall say to him, ‘Because the Lord has need of it’” (Luke 19:30-31 New King James Version).

Jesus was a renowned person. That’s why He gave the two disciples the instruction regarding who sent them on the errand. He was well known by the people. But it is a different thing if the owners of this colt or young donkey on which no man had ever sat would release it to them as Jesus had demanded.

The two disciples obeyed His instruction and went to the village. They could have asked themselves some questions: How did He know the colt was tied in that village? Had He held any discussion with the owners before? Suppose the owners refused to allow them to loose the colt, what would happen? These are possible questions in their minds. But they had followed Him enough to trust Him, so they went.

You must learn to follow divine instructions, even when you don’t understand how things would work out. Miracles happen when we obey God. “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the LORD. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts’” (New King James Version).

Just as Jesus said, the owners of the colt asked the two disciples why they were untying the colt. This is understandable; the colt didn’t belong to the disciples. They replied exactly the way Jesus had told them. Luke 19:32-35 says, “So they went and found the colt, just as Jesus had said. And sure enough, as they were untying it, the owners asked them, ‘Why are you untying our colt?’ And the disciples simply replied, ‘The Lord needs it.’ So they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it for him to ride on” (New Living Translation).

The owners of the colt had regard for Jesus. The moment the two disciples said that He needed it, the owners didn’t stop them. We don’t know why they tied the colt in the first place. But whatever they had wanted to use it for was no longer a priority to them. They subordinated their need to the need of Jesus. They must have said since the Lord needed it, He should have it.

By giving the colt to Jesus to ride on, the owners didn’t know that they were cooperating to fulfil a prophecy.  The prophet Zechariah had prophesied, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9 New King James Version). The Gospel of Matthew records that the disciples loosed a donkey and a colt and brought them to Jesus but the other Gospels mention only the colt which Jesus rode on.

The willingness of the owners of the colt to give it to Jesus to use made the colt fulfil Zachariah’s prophecy. You will fulfil positive prophecies in Jesus’ name. Your life shall not fulfil negative prophecies. Judas Iscariot fulfilled a negative prophecy.

Yes, someone must betray Jesus, but nowhere in the Old Testament was his name written (Zechariah 11:12-13). But Judas made himself available to Satan to use. It could have been any other person that would betray Jesus. Making reference to the prophecy in Psalm 41:9, Jesus said, “The Scriptures declare, ‘The one who shares my food has turned against me,’ and this will soon come true’” (John 13:18b New LivingTranslation).

However, Satan found Judas appropriate to use and Judas didn’t disappoint him! Luke 22:3 says Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. He eventually committed suicide after he had betrayed Jesus.

Later, when the disciples were deciding on the person to replace him, Peter said, “For it is written in the Book of Psalms: ‘Let his dwelling place be desolate, and let no one live in it’; and, ‘Let another take his office’” (Acts 1:20 New King James Version). The scriptures Peter referred to were Psalms 69:25; 109:8. The name of Judas was not mentioned there but he fulfilled the negative prophecy there. You won’t fulfil any negative prophecy in Jesus’ name. Your place will not become desolate and no one will take your place.

The owners of the colt responded to the need of Jesus. Can God depend on you to meet His need? Can you give God whatever He demands of you? The names of the owners of the colt are not mentioned in the Bible but God knows them. Sometimes your good deeds may not be publicly acknowledged and your name publicized. That should not be your goal but to obey God or do His will.

Jesus said, “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.  Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,  that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly” (Matthew 6:1-4 New King James Version).

The owners of the colt didn’t deny Jesus the use of the colt, just as Peter had not denied Him the use of his boat for preaching after Peter’s fruitless night of fishing. He was rewarded with a net-breaking and boat-sinking catch of fish thereafter. In addition, he was loosed like that colt for the service of the Lord. The Lord needed Peter and he yielded himself for His service, becoming a fisher of men (Luke 5:1-11).

Be sensitive to the divine need that you must meet. If you seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, God will add all other things to you (Matthew 6:33). God did it for Peter when he was loosed from his fishing business. How many fishermen in Peter’s days do you know today? Peter is still known today because he was loosed! The Lord needed him as a fisher of men and he answered the call.

You probably can’t remember any other colt in the Bible other than the colt that Jesus rode on to Jerusalem. Why? Because the colt was released by the owners for the Lord to use. And as Jesus entered Jerusalem and the people honoured Him, the colt also shared in the honour!  Luke 19:35-36 says, “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” (New King James Version).

The Lord needs you, too. Who tied you? What tied you? Where have you been tied? What must you be loosed from? Demonic powers have tied some people. They need to be loosed. Some people’s destinies have been tied and they need to be loosed.

Some people have been tied to certain jobs that have been hindering them from fulfilling their destinies and they need to be loosed. Others need to be loosed from infirmities, like that woman that Jesus loosed from an eighteen-year-old infirmity (Luke 13:11-13).  Also, there are those bound by destructive habits and need to be loosed.

In Luke 4:18-19, Jesus, quoting Isaiah’s prophecy in Isaiah 61, said, “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD” (New King James Version). Whoever the Son makes free, either from sin or any other form of captivity. shall be free indeed (John 8:36)

Jesus needs you. Don’t put down yourself and say God can’t use you. No. If Jesus could use a colt, He can use you also. God loves you enough to send His Son, Jesus to die for your sins. He has a great destiny for you and the two of you (God and you) must work together to fulfil it. God needs you, not necessarily to become a pastor. But if God wants to use you as a pastor, why not? He needs you.

Don’t compare yourself to other people and say you don’t have what they have and, therefore, God can’t use you. No. God has different assignments for everybody and the gifts are different. 1 Corinthians12:4 says there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. What others have, you may not have but what you have, they may not have either.  “God has given each of you special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing to others God’s many kinds of blessings” (1 Peter 4:10 The Living Bible)

You may feel inadequate. That’s not strange. Nobody is sufficient for the assignment God has called him/her to do. That’s why you will need to continue to depend on Him for strength and you will be able to do all things (Philippians 4:13)

2 Timothy  2:20-21  says, “In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. If you keep yourself pure, you will be a utensil God can use for his purpose. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work” (New Living Translation). God has many people He is using but everyone is unique. He needs you. Therefore, consecrate yourself to Him.

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 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 resurrected 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 the palm tree and grow like the 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 according to Your will. I will not fulfil negative prophecies in Jesus’ name. My place will not become desolate and no one will take my place. Holy Spirit, help me to be sensitive to the divine need God may want me to meet. Help me to give whatever God demands of me.

(For about 600 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit: www.cedarministry.org).

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