When facing a crisis, have you ever said, or heard someone say, “I need God now?” It’s true we need God in times of chaos and trouble. It is also true that we need Him every other second of life. Without God, even for the smallest moment, the entire universe would collapse upon itself. (Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:3) There is no part of life that can survive except for the sustaining hand of our Creator. (Acts 17:24-25; Job 34:14-15)
We don’t just need Him when times are tough; we need Him at all times. This is a shift we must all make to mature in our faith. There is not what we do and what God does; He does it all. We are powerless to affect anything in this life without the providence of God’s power and His will.
When you say, “I need God now,” you are implying there are times when you don’t need Him. I understand the sentiment behind the statement, but do you think you could survive a single second on your own in this world? If you think you can, you are fooling yourself and are ignorant of the spiritual war being waged for your soul. (Ephesians 6:11-12) Satan and his demons never rest in their pursuit of you. (1 Peter 5:8; Revelation 12:10) If they can’t capture your soul, they will continue to battle to make certain you are not effective for the Kingdom of God. (1 Thessalonians 2:18) There are unseen forces in this world whose sole purpose is to destroy you. Without God, they would and will succeed. (Luke 22:31-32; John 10:28-29)
Far better to wake up every morning and say, “I need God,” even when it seems as if life is going great. Remind yourself of that fact throughout the day because the moment you forget it is the moment trouble begins. We can accomplish nothing of eternal value except for the grace, mercy, and strength of our Lord. (John 15:5; Philippians 2:13) We can’t even accomplish the pursuits of the flesh except for His creative power at work in us. Without Him, we would have no breath, no intelligence, no strength, and no imagination. Every good thing comes from God (James 1:17), regardless of how we make use of those gifts.
We do need God now, just as we needed Him in the past and will need Him in the future. Paul said it was in Christ that He breathes and moves. (Acts 17:28) Can we say the same? Do we recognize how utterly dependent we are on God for every single aspect and second of our lives? The life we live is not our own. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Galatians 2:19-20) It’s a good thing because we could never survive it on our own. Don’t be fooled by those without Christ who seem to be doing just fine, living amazing lives. Their end is death, eternity separated from God, and an unending state of experiencing the agony and devastation of God’s wrath. (Philippians 3:18-20; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-9) Is that what you want?
The next time you think, “I need God now,” pause and recognize you always need God. Reflect on whether you’ve been taking Him for granted and thinking you could live life on your terms. (Proverbs 3:5-7; James 4:13-15) You can’t. There is God and nothing else. He is everything, and we are nothing. He is exalted, and we are the lowest of the low. (Isaiah 55:8-9; Isaiah 40:17) If not for His mercy, we would stay that way forever. (Ephesians 2:4-5; Titus 3:5) But in Christ, we are lifted up and made heirs to eternal life. (Titus 3:6-7; Romans 8:16-17) By the blood of Jesus, we can be saved. (Ephesians 1:7-8; Romans 5:9) We do need God now, and we always will. He alone is the holy God, worthy of our worship, and the only One who can save our souls. (Isaiah 43:11; Revelation 4:11)