As we begin 2024, it’s a good time to take stock of our attitudes toward God and whether we are giving Him the honor and glory He deserves. This third devotion helps us evaluate our “neediness” for God:

IN WORD What would we know of Jesus if everyone had taken care of their own problems? What would Jesus have done if all of His hearers had been self-sufficient? Would He have been proud of them? Given His blessing and moved on?
Sadly, the nature of Jesus would have remained unrevealed in any place with a high standard of health and welfare. That fact should not escape us. We often try to clean ourselves up for God so that He won’t have to expend so much time, so much effort—so much mercy—to keep us going. We sometimes feel guilty about needing so much from Him. We don’t want to be the problem child. But God specializes in problem children.
The parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15 should be enough to convince us: The good older brother who complained about the favor given to his younger, more rebellious sibling actually turned out to be the greater problem for the father. That son’s self-sufficiency made him harder to reach and caused him to question the father’s mercy.
And throughout His ministry Jesus’ response to the religious authorities should convince us as well: Those who “have it all together” don’t really have it at all. And God can do little for them. In the four Gospels, it was the sinners, the prostitutes, the tax collectors, the lepers, and the demon-possessed who glorified Jesus. How? In their need. They became the platform for Him to demonstrate His mercy. We can do that too.
IN DEED Are you aware that your neediness honors God? Well, in our experience it isn’t always an occasion for His glory; but it can be—if you will present it to Him humbly and without using your own devices to supersede His. Don’t catch yourself lamenting that you are a high-maintenance disciple. We need to be high maintenance. We need to realize that we can’t—and shouldn’t—maintain ourselves. He is glorified in the way that He keeps us, heals us, restores us, and builds us up. “O God, never suffer us to think that we can stand by ourselves, and not need Thee.” – John Donne (“Worship the King” by Chris Tiegreen)

Many people want to be self-sufficient, but that would be a fallacy as no one can even control their own destiny. All it takes is a car accident or a few cancer cells to transform life’s circumstances.
Only in God can we be assured that we can overcome any and all circumstances. As we journey into 2024, do you have the assurance of Romans 8:28-39? This promise was given just as the Roman Christians began to face severe persecution. It was not a promise that trials would be removed, but that God is actively at work and that nothing can separate us from His love. Take time to reflect on Romans 7 and 8 this week, and ask the Holy Spirit to give you a right perspective on life so that you may find true security in a God who loves high maintenance lovers. Have a blessed week! – from Singapore, Pastor Sam