Have you ever needed someone and they were nowhere to be found?
And it’s just so easy to zone out. This from the Bible teacher who just stood in front of her church and declared, “The Bible isn’t boring, but we might be lazy in how we read it.” I’d like to now publicly testify that whatever you speak or teach in the name of Jesus will be tested. Probably via 1 Chronicles.
So this morning, as I opened up to the next chapter in the reading plan, I cringed when I saw another list of names and tribes and numbers. I’m sorry, Lord. I didn’t mean it.
But also, You’re gonna have to help me here. All scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, so teach me. I need some help with the purpose, not just with the pronunciations.
The Bible isn’t boring, but we might be lazy in how we read it.
Ask and ye shall receive. But maybe not in the exact same moment you ask.
I finished my reading by faith, then got dressed and went to church for Sunday service. Worship was SO GOOD today, but it wasn’t because we sounded good. It was because the people were hungry. Starving for Jesus. And He satisfied us with the richest of fare.
Then came the word. Different today – a mini-sermon based out of Ephesians 4, followed by a panel of people who taught us what it’s like to live out Ephesians by telling their personal stories of working marketplace jobs with ministry mindsets. It was so good. You should see it. Matter of fact, I might just link it at the bottom of this post.
He satisfies with the richest of fare.
That’s when it clicked. The list of names in 1 Chronicles started making sense. Those are the people God needed to accomplish His will for the time. Now, before we start splitting theological hairs, I’m aware that God doesn’t “need” anyone or anything. It’s our privilege and our joy to serve Him.
But the body of Christ – aka the people part of this whole thing – we have needs. We need each other. We need the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We need the fellowship of the saints and the communion with our Lord.
The people listed in 1 Chronicles needed each other. We need each other. We need you. The mission needs you. We are the modern day list of names. And it isn’t just us. There’s a global fellowship with names just as hard for me to pronounce as the ones in 1 Chronicles.
The mission needs you.
We are all needed, and the enemy of our souls, of our mission would love nothing more than to convince us that we aren’t. But the devil is a liar. An accuser of saints, constantly mocking our shortcomings in an effort to get us to back down and surrender the fight. To cross our name off the list.
But you are needed.
It may not always be easy, and it may not always seem true.
But you are needed.
There may be days when you question if you did the right thing, if you’re on the right path. If you said it the right way.
But you are needed.
There might be a minute or two when you get knocked down, and you’ll contemplate retirement from the game.
But you are needed.
There will certainly be days when there are more questions than answers and more fear than faith – you feel like a grasshopper staring at giants in the land.
But you are needed.
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