What Do You Really Need?

I do not know when the idea of “finding yourself” came into vogue, but it surely has had a negative impact on how people see themselves. It usually causes people to focus on what they selfishly want while ignoring how much they actually need, as well as what they ought to be. As a result, people have begun to define themselves solely by the extent of their worldly ambitions rather than by the reality of the human condition. However, Psalm 103 offers a powerful corrective to this by redirecting attention away from self and toward the LORD to establish a spiritual perspective about life that should guide our ambitions while also comforting our spirit.

Life offers such great opportunity for personal growth, achievement, and freedom, but sadly many use the opportunities God has provided to rebel against Him and try to push Him out of their lives. Regardless, we need the LORD—more than we often realize. We need the LORD’s life-giving provision (Psa. 103:1-5). The blessings He provides mankind point to the core of mankind’s own limitations. We need the LORD’s forgiveness because we have sinned against the LORD’s will. We need His care because the human body is fragile. We need hope because life leads to destruction. We need God’s love because without it we could have none of the good things we tend to take for granted in life. More than that, we need the LORD’s righteous guidance (Psa. 103:6-8). He alone understands true justice and acts without any partiality. He has revealed His will because we need moral direction. He has shown us the greatest of character in all His interaction with His creation. And we needed Him to do so. We need the LORD’s bountiful mercy (Psa. 103:9-13). We need Him to be patient and longsuffering with us or else we could not repent and grow. We need forgiveness so desperately, especially in light of His justice, and His grace and mercy He has extended to make that possible. O how we need God! We need the LORD’s hopeful promises (Psa. 103:14-19). As our Creator, God knows our limitations, our frailty, and our futility, and we need to learn the same. We need to remember that life is short but eternity is long. We need to learn not to allow the pleasure of the moment to dictate the destiny of the soul. We need to recognize just how much we need God in our lives now so that we will be with God in eternity. We need to see into eternity and appreciate mercy, to view the majesty of the LORD and reverence Him, and to appreciate the revelation of His will so that we can obey it. The LORD is greater than life and greater than death. He reigns in heaven and beyond. But we need to let Him reign in our lives. The more we see happening in the world around us, the more we should see our need for the LORD’s providential care (Psa. 103:20-22). He does not work miracles through men any longer upon this earth, but through His providence He still exercises lordship over all His creation, using angels to carry out His will in the realm of nature, and this gives great confidence and meaning to prayer.

You need God. You need God to live. You need God to thrive. You need God to know right and wrong. You need God to know love. You need God to forgive. You need to know God. So many people are trying to find themselves in this mixed up world. Instead, what they really need is to look into the scriptures and find God.

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