He Knows Exactly What We Need

This past weekend a need I've had in my life was starting to get fixed. No, I don't mean a spiritual need, or anything like that. For quite some time now, my car has been sitting next to my house, not going anywhere. I finally had it towed to someone who can fix it- my father-in-law. Though he isn't a professional mechanic, he knows his way around a car. You name, he can probably fix it. The term may be contradictory, but he is something of an amatuer specialist when it comes to automobiles.

We serve a Savior who is a specialist. Before His earthly ministry, Jesus was a carpenter. Perhaps He was called on to help build someone’s new house. Maybe He was called on to fix certain items that only a master carpenter could. But just as Jesus was a man of trade before His public ministry, so He was after. Yet, it wouldn’t be houses, tables, or doors needing His touch, but the lives of men, women and children. And, as any good master tradesman, Jesus knew exactly what each person needed.

In John 3, we read the account of Nicodemus coming to Jesus one night. Here was a man steeped in the rabbinical traditions and the knowledge of the Law of Moses. But, as the Bible teaches us, the Law was powerless to save anyone, because of our sinful nature. It was intended to point out our sin, and show of our need of a Savior. Here was Nicodemus, face to face with that Savior. What did he need to hear? “You must be born again”, or be given a new beginning through faith in Christ, forgiven of the sins that have offended a Holy God.

In the next chapter, Jesus is seen in Samaria speaking with a woman at a well, who had come to draw water. Jesus used her drawing from the well as an illustration of a spiritual truth, and just what she needed to hear. Her true need was not physical thirst, but a spiritual thirst. He said to her, “Whoever drinks this water will thirst again: but whoever drinks the water I will give him will never thirst: but the water that I will give him will be a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (vv. 13-14). This woman had a spiritual thirst deep inside her that she thought would be quenched by something tangible and physical, like her love life (vv.15-18). But, praise God, Jesus knew exactly what she needed.

He knows just what you need too. One of the names we call Jesus is “The Great Physician”. We call Him that because He knows just what to prescribe to every one of us. He didn’t speak of Living Water to Nicodemus, and He didn’t talk to the Samaritan woman about being born again. Friends, won’t you let the Master Tradesman have a look at you today, and let Him give you what you need today. God bless.