THE LORD HATH NEED OF HIM
“Saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither. And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him.” Luke 19:30, 31
Jesus was preparing to ride into Jerusalem, where He would soon be crucified. In fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, He would ride upon a borrowed colt. Our text tells us that Jesus instructed two of His disciples to go into the village where they would find the colt tied. If anyone asked them why they were taking the colt, they were to say, “Because the Lord hath need of him.” They obeyed the Master and found the colt just as He had said. When the owners asked the reason they were loosing the colt, they replied, “the Lord hath need of him.” The colt was brought to Jesus, and He rode into Jerusalem. The owners of the colt offered no resistance. For them, “the Lord hath need of him” was sufficient. If the Lord needed their animal, the Lord was welcome to it.
This should serve as a valuable lesson for us all. Whatever the Lord needs from us, we should readily give it. We do not know all the reasons the owners so willingly offered their colt, but I would like to suggest two reasons we should give God whatever He desires of us. First of all, we should give to Him because all that we have comes from Him. God is the owner of everything. We are only His stewards. The Lord has entrusted His resources to us that we might use them as it would please Him. How unreasonable and selfish it is to receive from God the things He gives us to manage, and then refuse to offer them when He needs them.
Another reason we should enthusiastically give God all that He needs from us is because of all that He has done for us. How could we be unwilling to provide what God needs when He is always providing what we need? He has given us so much. God gave His only Son, and Jesus gave His life for us that we might have eternal life. He has given us a new start in life through the new birth. He has given us the Holy Spirit to be our constant Comforter. He has given us a vibrant church family to be a part of and to serve Him through. He has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. He has provided an eternal home in Heaven. How can we say “No” when He calls for us?