The God Who Satisfies Your Needs
The Gospel of John (59) God fills our needs (8:41-47)
< Four Definitions of Freedom >
This text is the ‘words about the truth’ that the Lord spoke to the Jews while he was teaching in Jerusalem. In particular, the Lord emphasizes freedom in truth. What is freedom?
First, freedom is ‘doing what you decide to do’. Freedom is often misunderstood as “doing what you want,” but it is indulgence. True freedom is ‘doing what you decide to do’. Sometimes I feel a certain emotion and decide to do this. “Let’s not say things like this in the future! Let's not do this!" If you don't put that decision into practice, it's like you don't have freedom. Calvin said. “Freedom is the ability to do what I should do and not do what I shouldn't.”
Second, freedom is 'to be bound by the best'. As much as people have freedom, they also have responsibilities. The way for a free-willed person to attain true freedom is to be happy with God. Why can't a person get the blessing of freedom? Because they are trying to be free from the God who gives real freedom.
Third, freedom is “in the Word.” To be truly free, you must be in the truth. To be in the truth is to belong to God and to hear the word (verse 47). In the end, freedom is going the way you should go in the Word. True freedom is a life in which you move forward toward your goal with courage, conviction, and God-given power and resources.
Fourth, freedom is ‘a thing that gives true satisfaction’. Are you content to buy something delicious and toys for a crying child who gets lost in the park? no. However, if you find the mother and put her in her arms, the child will finally stop crying and show a satisfied expression. Not because I got what I needed, but because I met a solver for what I needed. That is the confession of Psalm 23:1. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”
<God fills the need>
When parents think they need it, they fill it. However, if it is judged that it is not necessary, it will not be given. Likewise, God’s ‘Yes!’ is a blessing, and God’s ‘No!’ is also a blessing. Confess this even in the face of ‘no’ situations and barriers because God’s ‘No! “The Lord is my shepherd, and I lack nothing.” Such a confession is the confession of a truly free man.
Great Britain's father of orphans, George Mueller, raised 3,000 orphans, and decided not to once again appeal to people for his shortcomings. This was Mueller's holy guts and faith. So God never let George Muller down, allowing more than 3,000 orphans to be fed without appealing to people.
When supporting missionaries, some missionaries actively notify the need in mission letters. On the other hand, some missionaries do not actively communicate the need in the mission letter even though they have the need. So, the latter missionary naturally communicates, finds out the need, and tries to fill in the prayer topics. Not to mention God, if people have such interest and try to satisfy their needs.
Hudson Taylor, who opened the door to China missions, initially gave God a vision to go as a missionary to China. So I went to church and appealed. “Send me to China!” Still, there was no help from people and no support from the church. The missionary agency that knocked on the door kept saying, “No!” to his vision.
Finally he got up to himself and confessed. “If you obey the call of the Lord, God will help you even if the mission does not help.” So, I went to China alone, organized the “China Inland Mission,” and opened the door to missions in China. Where did that courage and guts come from? It came from a thorough belief that “the Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” There is no lack of God's support in our daily work in God's holy work.