Mensa Otabil - God Still Needs You (11/01/2025)
We’re still tracking Jesus on the way to Jerusalem for the grand entrance into the city. Luke Chapter 19, Verses 32-34: So those who were sent went their way 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 to obstruct his plans. So he made contingency arrangements with the two disciples that he sent. He said, «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 are not told in the scriptures. Was this a password, a passcode, or 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 give you up. You have to be released; circumstances have to be released; your past has to release you because God has need of you. Just pause there 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 entity has need of you, but God has need of you. And God’s need of you overwrites every other need in your life. God has need of you. You may feel lonely, 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 a junction for a long time: «Tell the masters, God has need of this one.»
Each one of us that God has need of, God sends people our way to bring us a message of liberation. 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, and I will give you freedom.» God has need of us at any and every point of our lives. You know, many times we go through life, and maybe you go through retirement, and you think, «Oh, nobody has need of me; everybody has thrown me away; everybody has rejected me.» Or maybe you feel you’re young, and everybody calls you a small boy or a little girl, and they downplay you at family meetings or wherever you gather. You’re wondering, «What’s my worth?» Well, whether you are retired or you are too young, God has need of you. Isn’t it amazing that what Jesus had need of was not a gallant horse; it was just a humble donkey tied down? But God had need for him.
So today, just remember, «The Lord has need of you,» and he wants to use you. He wants 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 a purpose for my life. I am ready; use me for your glory. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.»