Mensa Otabil - The Lord Has Need of Him (10/02/2025)
We’re still tracking Jesus on the way to Jerusalem for the grand entrance into the city (Luke 19:32–34). So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had said to them. But as they were loosening the colt, the owners of it said to them, «Why are you loosening the colt?» And they said, «The Lord has need of him.» Jesus planned ahead of time, but he also knew that no matter how well he planned, there could be some obstacles in the way that might obstruct his plans.
So he made contingency arrangements with the two disciples he sent, saying, «If you go out there and start loosening the colt, you will be asked why you are doing it, and you have to say, 'The Lord has need of him.'» It’s quite an interesting statement: «The Lord has need of him.» Which Lord? We’re not told in the scriptures. Was this a password? Was it a passcode? Was it an arranged statement that Jesus had made with the owners of the colt? We are not sure. We don’t know why Jesus said that, but that statement, «The Lord has need of him,» was sufficient to release the colt from where he was.
So when God has need of you, everything that holds you back has to let you go. You have to be released; circumstances have to be released; your past has to be released because God has need of you. Just pause for a moment and remember: God has need of you. Yes, there may be other people who have need of you; maybe Satan also has need of you, or some other force has need of you, but God’s need of you overwrites every other need in your life. You may feel lowly; you may feel alone; you may feel tied down; you may feel restricted; you may feel that life has not been fair to you, but God has need of you. That’s what Jesus said to that donkey that had been tied at the junction for a long time: «Tell the masters, 'God has need of this one.'» Each one of us is in a place where God has need of us. God sends people our way to bring us a message of liberation, and who knows? Maybe the message you are hearing this morning is God’s way of telling you, «I have need of you. I will deliver you; I will set you free; I will give you freedom.» God has need of us at any and every point in our lives.
Many times we go through life. Maybe you go through retirement and think, «Oh, nobody has need of me; everybody has thrown me away; everybody has rejected me.» Or maybe you feel young, and everybody calls you a small boy or a little girl and downplays you. At family meetings or wherever you gather, you wonder, «What’s my worth?» Whether you are retired or too young, God has need of you. Isn’t it amazing that what Jesus needed was not a gallant horse but a humble donkey tied down? God had need for him. So today, just remember: The Lord has need of you, and he wants to use you to do something grand with your life. No matter how dislocated your life is, God’s purposes will manifest in your life.
Let’s pray together. Say with me: «Heavenly Father, I know you have a plan and purpose for my life. I am ready; use me for your glory. In Jesus' name, amen.» Truly, the Lord has need of you, and he is not through with you yet. Pastor Mensa Otabil, shalom, peace, and life to you.