Exactly What I Need

Exactly What I Need
Thursday, February 25, 2016

Blog by Megann Graf

If you were here this past Sunday, you might recall some of the videos that Pastor Jeff showed that had to do with advertising.  I will admit, I am online shopper, because of that, my email inbox is constantly flooded with retailers trying to get me to buy more.  Recently, I got the one above (notice I had moved it to my trash folder-that should count for something!)  But, the tag line did grab me.  “This is exactly what you need right now.”  Really?  How does Gap, who also cannot spell my name correctly,  know what I need right now?  Apparently a 40% off sale solves almost anything, right?! 

But, I’ll admit, there are probably more times than I would like to admit that I bought something, or ate something, or drank something because it was “just what I needed” in that moment.  I knew full well it wasn’t going to solve anything, I just wanted to feel better in that moment. 

Why is it that we’re so quick to jump to our quick fixes, that we know are not “exactly what we need” instead of immediately turning to God?  I know, I know, God doesn’t always reply back in a way that you can hear and understand.  Trust me folks, I get this.  I have cried out several times and still sat wondering why in the heck I was in this situation.  What was I doing wrong?  What IS the solution? 

I’m currently going through 40 day devotional for Lent called “Lent to Repent” by Ann Voskamp.  (I highly recommend it, btw.)  Each day, she points out something in your life that you should repent of.  Things like judging others, taking for granted our freedom from persecution, noise, etc.  Today’s reflection said this,

“By grace, today, I will fast from feeling like a relationship with You is a burden. Today I will sit with Your Word because reading Your word is not about getting You to love me…but about simply getting myself into the place where I can hear You telling me just that – that You love even, especially me.  We repent of trying to face anything before we have sought the face of God.”

It made me think . . . .How many times do I think that going to God is a burden?  I run to the store or the pantry far more times than I run to the Word.  Maybe you run to the gym or Starbucks or any other number of places. 

God is exactly what we need, no matter what the situation.  He doesn’t need to be 40% off, His gift of love is free, always, no strings attached.  He’s in the business of trying to make you look and feel better too, and he’s got a pretty decent track record of accomplishing that, if you follow his instructions.  He is exactly what we need right now!