God Has a Need: Come, All Things Are Ready!

I'm taking an extra week or so off from work, so I was reading this book called, "God's Need and God's Goal," by Witness Lee. The first chapter is very touching.

While man (humanity in general) has feeling only for his need, God has a greater need. The chapter begins with Luke 14:17, "Come, for all things are now ready." This verse is then followed by Luke 15, the passage concerning the forgiving father and the prodigal son. In this story, we often focus on the hungry, filthy, poor son who desperately needs to return to his father. However, if we read more closely, we will soon realize that the father himself has been longing for his son to return. 

The prodigal son realizes his need after he has squandered all his possessions, yet the father has been longing for his lost son since the day that son left his house. The father has probably prepared the best robe for his son's return long before the actual day of the return. 

As you read Luke 15, you will also find that during the return, while the son is still afar off, the father quickly recognizes his son and run to hold and kiss him. Before the son finishes his repenting statement, the father tells his slaves to bring out the best robe for his son.

To the father, the son's transgression does not matter much. In fact without such transgression, we would not realize how forgiving, loving, longing the father is. Of course, this father is actually our Father. Let me continue with a quote from the book that I read.

"We need to see that God truly needs us. Actually, there is no one who feels that he needs God, and there is no one who seeks God (Romans 3:11). There is none. It is God who seeks man, and it is God who finds man. It is not we who want God; it is God who wants us. It is not we who choose God; it is God who chooses us. It is not we who love God; it is God who loves us. Our Lord was incarnated so that we could receive Him."

This is our salvation - "If we see that God needs us more than we need Him, we will realize that it is quite easy to be saved and to be faithful." In other words, do you know why we can be saved? It is because it is quite easy to be saved. Do you know why it is quite easy to be saved? It is because God needs us more than we need Him.

Do you know how we can be faithful? Is it because we are strong and devout? It is because God needs us more than we need Him. Yes, we cannot but He has done all! Salvation is "Come, all things are now ready."

Let us not be afraid of our weaknesses. Second Corinthians 12:9 says, "Most gladly therefore I will rather boast in my weaknesses that the power of Christ might tabernacle over me." That means the power of Christ cannot be manifested without our weaknesses.

We simply need to come to Him as we are, without struggling and striving, no matter what our condition is. Just like the prodigal son. Actually, his salvation only requires him to come, to return, his father has prepared all the rest. 

So likewise, our only responsibility to be saved and be faithful is "Come, all things are ready!"