The Necessities

Photo by Joseph Greve on Unsplash

If I were to ask you what your necessities are, what would you say? This being the 21st century, you might say something along the lines of the internet, your mobile phone, and your tablet. Or maybe you are a little more old school and think about power and indoor plumbing, like me! (I can’t imagine not having heat in the winter or having to go outside to an outhouse to use the bathroom in any kind of weather, but definitely not in the heat of summer, but I digress.)

So, let’s get down to brass tacks here, let’s talk about the basic necessities for life. What is it we all need to live? Food, water, shelter, and clothing.  Those are the four basic things that are integral to our survival. I would also like to add in love to this equation as well.

Now, let me twist things up a little here. I have been thinking a lot lately about how maybe the most essential thing in life is God. Would you not agree? I think if you are a Christ-follower, you certainly will agree. In this post, I would like to share with you how God is our food, water, shelter, and clothing.

John 6:35 says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” Bread is considered a basic dietary item. It is a staple food. Bread is such a basic food item that it has become synonymous for food in general. We even use the phrase “breaking bread together” to indicate the sharing of a meal with others. 

While food is important, we all know that man cannot live on bread alone. Water is vital to our existence—even more imperative than food. In the above verse from John, Jesus says that we shall not hunger or thirst. In John 7:38 he drives the point home, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” Also, in the book of John, Jesus cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.” As a Christian, Jesus should be the well we drink from daily. He is our living water.

Let’s move on to shelter. The dictionary tells us that there are many words that are a synonym for shelter. Well, in the Bible you will find many instances where learn that the Lord is our “shelter”.  Psalm 46:1 tells us, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Then, Deuteronomy 33:27 tells us, “The eternal God is a dwelling place…”. And, Isaiah 25:4 tells us, “For You have been a defense for the helpless, a defense for the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat, for the breath of the ruthless is like a rain storm against a wall.” In this case, “You” is referring to God. So, as you can see from just these three verses, the Lord is our shelter.

Finally, let’s look at clothing. If you are a Christian you are “clothed in Chris”. The clothing imagery used in the Bible reflects the transformation that takes place within us when we form a true relationship with Jesus Christ. In our union with God, we “put on Christ”, like we put on our clothing. The apostle Paul tells us that “in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Therefore, Christ is our clothing.

Now, I want to circle back around to something I mentioned above—love. While looking at love in the “essential” sense, it doesn’t actually fit the requirements. However, I believe that if you truly want to not only live your life, but grow strong and bloom, you need love. And, there is no one who loves us more than God. God loved us so much He sent His son to die on the cross for our sins. (See John 3:16) And, not only does God love us, but God is love. Love is the fundamental essence of His nature and character—it is simply what He is.

I pray that you will allow God to be the food, water, shelter and clothing in your life. He really is all you need.