Physical and Spiritual Needs

“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him
And show him my salvation.”
Psalm 91:14-16

The last few days have been wrought with emotion. One minute I feel that I’m secure–my faith is strong, I’m holding onto the Rock that is higher than I (Psalm 61:2). The next minute, I’m overwhelmed, beat down, and paralyzed with fear. For those of you wondering when you’ll return to work, or how you’ll pay your bills, it can feel nearly impossible to silence that anxiety. These are uncertain times, and many of us have no other choice but to depend solely on God. Fortunately we serve a God who is patient with us, and has given us truth to cling to in his Word that surpasses the circumstances of the moment. I refuse to believe it is anything but providence that we have spent the preceding months reading about Israel’s reliance on God and their time in the wilderness.

Many of us have been wondering how we might serve God and people during this crisis. What is the best way to do outreach? How can we practice ethical behavior while still meeting the very real needs of those around us? We’re ready and willing to step in and fight fear and panic with faith and peace.

Read Luke 4:14-30

When Jesus began his ministry, as recorded in the Gospel of Luke, he began with preaching of himself in the synagogue, quoting the prophet Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (v. 18- 19). Jesus knew the people wanted miracles; they desired healing of their physical ailments. But His paramount objective was to “preach the good news of the kingdom of God” (Luke 4:43).

In Something Needs to Change, David Platt chronicled his wrestling with “a world of urgent physical need”, and he wasn’t wrong in his observation. People all over the world, and especially those in our community today, have physical needs that need to be met in order for them to survive or have a decent quality of life. It is not wrong or sinful for us to want to offer any assistance we can. In fact, rising to meet those needs is precisely what the church is called to do. Even still, we must ask: what is the greatest need of those around us? We can provide all of the help we want, but our paramount mission on this earth is to obediently share the gospel with those we encounter. The reality is that we cannot heal, help, feed, or save everyone. We just can’t, and we can’t let the sheer amount of demand discourage us in our work or mission. Our reading from Psalm 91 reminds that God alone is the ultimate deliverer, protector, help in trouble, rescuer, and savior. Yes and amen. Let us praise God for what he is doing in the lives of people all over the world, even in the midst of serious need.

Pray that God would make you not only sensitive to the physical needs of the people, but also to the spiritual needs. Pray for open eyes and a willing heart to share or serve however the opportunities may arise in the coming days and weeks.