You Are Needed

by J. Voisey (Wales)

“Say ye that the Lord hath need of him” (Mark 11.3).

These words were spoken of an ass, a humble beast of burden, for things written aforetime were about to be fulfilled, and the ass was part of the prophecy. He was to carry the King: for “behold thy King cometh unto thee: He is just and having salvation; lowly and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” It was a noble service. On this occasion, the Lord Jesus Christ was coming to them in peace and humility, so war chariots, war horses and the noise of battle were to have no place, for so the prophet had foretold, but when ultimately He will come in judgment, He will be upon a white horse, His eyes will be as a flame of fire, and out of His mouth will proceed a sharp sword. Zech.9. 9,10; Rev.19. 11-16.

He will ride upon this particular beast. Of course, the “Lord Jesus Christ is Lord of all,” and “the earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof” but “He has need of him.” We should never forget the sovereign will that guides all our steps, nor underestimate the importance that the Lord attaches to every aspect of His service and every one of His servants. There were those in the church at Corinth, who were inclined to look down on others who seemed less able and were in humbler positions than themselves. They were forgetting that it is God “who set the members in the Body as it hath pleased Him.” To one is given this task, and to another that task, but none is to be considered inferior to the other, nor can one member of the Body say to another, “I have no need of thee.” Rather, those who are “more feeble, or less honourable, or uncomely” should be given “more abundant honour,” so that there will be mutual care, love and respect for all in the fellowship, without strife or personal vainglory. For what has anyone of us, but that which we have received of the Lord? The Corinthians were also inclined to exalt some of God’s servants above others, 1Cor.3.4, and Paul specifically reminded them of the need of a proper attitude to Timothy, when he wrote “he worketh the work of the Lord as I also do.” 1Cor.12.14-26; 16.10.

The ass was an unclean animal but the fact that this one was still alive was proof that it had been redeemed, Ex.13.13. So it is with us. The gospel of the grace of God is proclaimed to all, and the Lord Jesus Christ uses every one of His redeemed people in His service. Whatever their individual background, their natural abilities, or even their nurturing environment and social position, out of all that full and rich diversity, He will find a place for everyone. How gracious and significant it is that the Lord should condescend to say of an ass, “I have need of him.”  Sometimes God used those whom we might suppose to be able and particularly gifted, such as Moses, and Isaiah and Paul. He also uses an insignificant man, from an insignificant family, living in an out of the way place like Gideon, and a brave but poor shepherd lad like David, and a common working man like Amos and even fishermen-disciples, who in the eyes of the unbelieving Jews, were only “ignorant and unlearned men” (“but they had been with Jesus”).

The Lord knew where this ass was and always God knows where His people are, whose hearts He may touch, and find them willing, sometimes after a little persuasion perhaps! So He commanded a poor widow woman in Zarephath to sustain His prophet Elijah, and sent Ananias of Damascus to tell the newly-converted Saul of Tarsus, “what he should do.” Whatever service it is He calls us to do, let us do it willingly, with thankfulness and joy, for we serve a loving, gentle Saviour and Master, and whatsoever we do let us do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men, Col.3.23.

“Oh use me Lord, use even me,
Just as Thou wilt, and how and where;
Until Thy blessed face I see,
Thy rest, Thy joy, Thy glory share.”

(Frances R. Havergal)