I am a person that believes teaching can be done through song if you let it. There are so many songs that we sing in and out of church that have an impact on us in our daily lives. According to one study, out of the top ten most downloaded apps in the world, Spotify is number ten and the top three (Tiktok, Instagram, and Facebook) all have significant musical influence. Music is a part of our lives in a way that many don’t consider. However, how do we let music affect our lives? There are many songs that teach us lessons in church, whether they be nursery songs that help us remember bible stories, or hymns that pull on our heartstrings and cause us to think about the great love of God. There is one song that has particularly pricked my heart recently. The song In Need, recorded by Praise and Harmony, gives a bird’s eye view of our struggles in this world and how we cannot do it all alone. The lyrics (included below) talk about how we as people are in need of more than we can ever provide for ourselves.

 

We like to think of ourselves as strong, independent women. We are self-sufficient and often refuse help from others. However, I want us to be intentional about putting that away. Because, no matter what we want to think, we cannot do everything alone. I would even go as far as to say that we can’t do anything alone. That can be a hard statement to hear, especially if we are capable young women. Even so, we can’t let our pride get in the way of our relationship with God. We are consistently and without question in need of our God. We require His loving embrace to hold us up when we cannot stand on our own and His hand to hold onto as we walk in our Christian life. We are in need of His salvation, mercy, grace, love, and all the things He blesses us with that we couldn’t even imagine. When we are in sin, we are sick and need repentance from Him that only He can provide. 

 

In Matthew 9:9-13, we meet Matthew, the author of the gospel and a tax collector. Jesus calls to him and he follows immediately. We then see Jesus sit down to eat with others, many of whom the Jews considered to be unclean and people who you shouldn’t be seen with. The Pharisees are absolutely appalled and ask why Jesus would eat with such people. You can almost hear the disgust in their voice when they ask. But Jesus replies with just a few simple sentences that really push back on the beliefs of the Pharisees. He says, starting in verse 12:

But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.'”

In this passage, we see that Jesus calls to those who are unrighteous, or even self-righteous. We aren’t perfect, ladies. We never will be, no matter how much that hurts our pride. We have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, just as we see in Romans 3:23. When Jesus says that He came for the sinners, He is talking about us. And we NEED Him. 

I am asking you to take a couple minutes, listen to the song In Need, and talk to God. We are consistently in need of Him and He knows that. The question is, will you choose to accept that fact as well? Or will you continue in the life of sin, persistent in the lie that you can do it all?

In Need by Praise & Harmony

(Lyrics)

In need of grace, in need of love

In need of mercy raining down from high above

In need of strength, in need of peace

In need of things that only You can give to me

 

In need of Christ, the perfect Lamb

My refuge strong, the great I Am

This is my song, my humble plea

I am Your child, I am in need

 

In need of grace, in need of love

In need of mercy raining down from high above

In need of strength, in need of peace

In need of things that only You can give to me

 

In need of Christ, the perfect Lamb

My refuge strong, the great I Am

This is my song, my humble plea

I am Your child, I am in need

 

In need of Christ, the perfect Lamb

My refuge strong, the great I Am

This is my song, my humble plea

I am Your child, I am in need

I am Your child, I am in need