Sufficient

Have you ever thought about the meaning of the word "sufficient"? People usually connect this word with their income, or whatever their daily need is. This word probably comes from the Latin word meaning "meeting the need".

When I was thinking about God's kindness, He reminded me that Jesus is sufficient enough to meet all my needs. Jesus once talked to the Samaritan woman by the well (John 4), and He said that " ... whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” Isaiah 55:1 also says :"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; ...".

Let us rewind and move back to the time where Moses went around and around in the desert with all the Israelites. What kind of things they complained the most? Their basic need, water and food. God supplied their water in the desert... The word "desert" will make you think of a dry land, lifeless, waterless, without vegetation. Yet God in His graciousness gave them water, is this a miracle or what? Absolutely! You can walk miles and miles searching for water in the desert and all you'll find is a mirage.

Remember the book and the movie called "Holes"? Stanley Yelnats was wrongfully accused of a crime he didn't commit and was sent to a detention camp in the desert. They had to line up to get water when the water truck came every day after they dug holes in the hot desert. Once Stanley ran away to search for his friend Zero, and they almost died of thirst and hunger.

Next thing the Israelites wanted was food, and God sent them little "wafer-like" bread from heaven, it was light and tasty, some people call it coriander seed. Can you imagine if we are out in the pouring rain one day, and suddenly you have some food coming down from the sky instead of water? People that live in the west probably will not be so excited about it, but imagine if you are in Africa where food is scarce, and you are dying of hunger. Boy, that would be the biggest miracle in all Africa! Can you imagine the joy the whole Africa would have if this thing happens there right now? Imagine...bread from heaven...the Israelites became so creative with this ingredient, I am sure they created hundreds and hundreds of recipe from this miracle food. They called it manna, which means "What is this?". When it happenned the first time, they were in awe of this miracle...they said "What is this?" Isn't it interesting that Jesus told the Jews that "I am the bread that came down from heaven." John 6:41

Those two things are probably our most basic need, water and food. At least physically. During Christmas season suddenly all kind of charities collected food for the needy to bless them. Yet around the world many people commit suicide in this season because of lack of love or lack of purpose in life. Guilt, depression, shame, desperation, physical pain, pressure, anxiety, these are some of the main causes of suicide. Why? Are they also our basic need?

God created you with a spirit, yet many people are not aware of that, they are spiritually dead, or perhaps some are still searching. Have you ever heard a song that says "...Your name is like honey to my lips, your spirit like water to my soul, your word is a lamp unto my feet..." When we accept Jesus, something inside us changed, awakened..For some people, this event made them cry, for the first time they feel God's love, they feel like there is more to look for than just their basic needs, there is a new purpose to live than just working for food, there is a change in direction, there is a "detour" sign. There is a hope that fills the emptiness inside. There is a healing and peace inside that come from God's love.

When my boys were young, sometimes they watched Donut Man's video show. He said, "Without Jesus, we are like a donut. There is a hole inside us that only Jesus can fill". How true is that statement, He is more than enough to fill all our needs, He is sufficient for us! Even when you lost everything in this world.