Ensure You Know Your Real Need

About this time last year, we wrote about the best Christmas gift ever. Our reason then was that if there was any gift that keeps giving, this was it. And now, we see that gift standing ready to give again. He is about to give the gift of vision to a needy man. But then, He asks a strange question. What do you want? He would like to ensure you know your real need before you ask.

Keep in mind, this is not like the Santa Claus phenomenon. In that scenario, young children ask for toys. They believe that toys will satisfy their needs. And that is in spite of last year’s experience when the toy broke in the first few days. No, this query is directed to an adult. The giver wanted the recipient to clarify their real need.

In the same way, Jesus is standing by you to give you your gift. However, He needs you to ensure you know your real need. He needs you to clarify your issue and ask for the gift that will address all your issues.

Learn From The Master

Call it a comprehensive gift. In that gift, if only the child knew it, is love. Because the child who asks for a toy is probably using it as a proxy for love. The comprehensive gift also includes his parents’ quality time with him. But until you ensure you know your real need, you may ask for a toy such as a bigger car. That is exactly what this giver is trying to avoid; asking for a gift that does not give lasting satisfaction.

In this Christmas season, it is necessary to learn from the master. There was nothing we needed more than that He should give His life a ransom for many. Now, don’t take that to mean that we knew that that was our real need. Not at all. Perhaps many thought they would like a new home or a better job.

Others might have desired a family of their own – a wife, a son and a daughter. But He helped you to ensure you know your real need by coming to save us from the devil. Jesus came and walked the earth because, above everything else, that was our greatest need.

As for Him, there was no gift that could serve Him as well as obedience to His Father. He achieved both at that first Christmas, so long ago, when He acceded to His Father’s request to come to earth.

Jesus Wants To Ensure You Know Your Real Need

Now, He is asking you what you want to ensure you know your real need and bring it to Him. Consider the first time He asked the question. The man in need then was called Bartimaeus but it could very well be you or me.

Poor man, he could not see anything, not even the One who was offering him a gift. He had no way of knowing that this is the One they call the Bread of Life. If you were in the crowd around Bartimaeus on that day, your response was probably “duh.” Even the blind man might have thought the same, but it was not a useless question.

Because a lot of us in Bartimaeus’ place would have asked for something else. A wife perhaps? You could be tired of living alone. Extremely tired and you could figure that life would be more tolerable if you had a spouse. The extra pair of hands would help around the house and she could serve as your eyes. Yes, a good wife would be great.

A few would have considered the indignity of sitting by the roadside and begging. They would immediately ask for a pot of money. After all, money answers all things. With enough money, they could afford servants to meet all their needs. Surrounded by willing and well-compensated servants, who needs eyes? Yes, Jesus, I want an inexhaustible supply of money.

Not Bartimaeus. His response puts Jesus’ question into perspective for us. It shows that it was not a redundant query. The question helps ensure you know your real need.

Like Bartimaeus, Ensure You Know Your Real Need

The blind man knew exactly what he needed. He had the ability to separate his needs from his desires. True, a lot of money would be great. A good house would serve him quite well. And, with a wife, he would have the opportunity of propagating his name. But he had the good sense to understand his real need.

Fortunately, he realized that with seeing eyes, he would soon have access to all those other gifts. We do not have to continue to be like children, asking for toys. Like Bartimaeus, you can identify your real need and ask the gift that keeps giving for a Christmas gift that will not break.

This Christmas, ask for a comprehensive gift. Our Maker has enough resources to accede to your request, no matter how impossibly huge it appears to you.

The Wisest Man In History Knew His Real Need

King Solomon, the one who made gold common like dust, knew his real need. He penned a few verses to drive the point home. Naturally, with so much wealth at his disposal, he knew the value of money and houses. You could say he also knew the value of a spouse. He had seven hundred of them!

But above all, he appreciated his real need. And he wanted to ensure that you know your real need as well. Therefore he advised us that in all your getting, get understanding. By all means, get all these houses, money, cars, toys, wives but in all this getting, be sure you get understanding.

Because that is the gift that will cause your other gifts to abide. With understanding, you will not readily break your toy or car or whatever toy your heart desires. King Solomon wants to ensure you know your real need.

Related to understanding is wisdom. It is so closely related that both concepts occur in the same verse. With wisdom, you do not pull down your house. Or to put it in contemporary terms, your house will not go into foreclosure. And your marriage will not end up in divorce. Ensure that you know your real need as wisdom.

Honor is another gift that you may need. Jesus had it, from His father. As a result, no one could kill Him before His time, regardless of the hostility in their hearts against Him. Perhaps faith is the real gift you need this Christmas. Go for it. Faith will allow you to understand that everything you see was created by God’s word. That should, in turn, cause you to know that God can create for you any physical toy you require.

This Blog Abides By Your Real Need

This entire blog is designed to help you ensure you know your real need. As in, Jim Reeves’ “This World is not my home, I am just passing through.” You could live to be one hundred and twenty years, your time on earth will come to an end someday.

And although we started out by offering money, it was for knowledge, a gift highly appreciated by Jesus. By the way, no one won the prize but sorry, we solved the riddle in a later post. That effectively closed the competition.  Back to the point, we have not really given you any incentives for joining our blog. The money will vanish but knowledge will remain.

Consequently, we have made a compilation of the posts for you to get as Christmas gifts for your family and friends. You may know that they are yet to ensure they know their real needs. Get each of them a copy here. It will cause them to bump into the Gift that keeps giving. And then, they will ask

what they need from Him. Much better than getting them a toy.

Maranatha!