You know what I love? I love that Jesus knows what we need before we even know it. I think we understand that, at least somewhat, in the physical and emotional areas of our life – that “God will provide for our needs.” The phrase that has become almost cliche’. (I used it today in a text message to someone and I hated how trite it sounded, how “christianese”, even though I meant it wholeheartedly.) We throw that idea around, very easily for others, and sometimes even grasp it and believe it for our own lives. Physically and emotionally this makes sense to us – the components of our lives that feel the most tangible and concrete.
But what about our spiritual needs? Do we really believe that God wants to meet us and show us things and take us to a deeper place? Do we understand that He is fully aware of all of our spiritual needs and desires way before we even know there is more to long for? He created our entire being. If He is in tune to the needs of our bodies, our minds and our hearts, He is also aware of the needs of our souls.
In John 3, a man named Nicodemus who was a religious leader, came to see Jesus in the dark of night. He was curious about Jesus. He started the conversation by saying that Jesus must be a teacher from God because of all of the miraculous things he had done. It’s a start. There is spiritual curiosity, but not understanding yet. He hadn’t even asked a question yet, and Jesus answered the question that Nicodemus needed answered, though he didn’t know it. Jesus told him the way to salvation. He just laid out the gospel for him in the analogy of birth. This religious man who knew the law backwards and forwards heard the words of life for the very first time from the very One who was offering him that life.
In the next chapter of John, Jesus got tired from his long journey and sat down by Jacob’s well to rest and refresh. A Samaritan woman came to the well, not knowing who Jesus was. She did, however, recognize Him as a Jewish man. So when he asked her for a drink, she wondered why on earth he would be talking to her, a Samaritan woman, with whom Jews would not normally associate. Jesus, knowing her need, told her that if she knew who He was, she would be asking HIM for a drink of living water. She would ask Him for life. He laid out the gospel for her with the analogy of water.
Two very different people from two very different walks of life. A prominent leader and a commoner. A Jewish Pharisee and a Samaritan. A man and a woman. But both with a common need that neither were fully aware of yet. And they both had an encounter with Jesus, who knew their deepest spiritual needs and addressed them in ways personal and unique to each of them.
Salvation is the need of all mankind. Some of us figured that out a long time ago, and some have yet to discover that. But Jesus was aware before any of us and shows up in various ways to offer us ‘life’ and ‘living water’. And after we have taken that drink of life and experience our relationship with Jesus, there are other spiritual needs unique to each of us and our journey and struggles. And Jesus meets us for those as well. He holds and comes with the answers, the keys, before we even recognize our own needs and questions.
I take great comfort in that. For myself, but also for those that I love and pray for. That Jesus is much more clued in to where they are and what they need and how their journey will look and how He will meet them there. He’s really amazing like that…and I really love that about Him!
