Let me start off by asking you this, what are some things in life you know you need?  Food, water, toothpaste, hair products, makeup, clothes, shoes, or rides, okay, so now we know there are a lot of things we need in our life on a daily basis, so it seems.  You see the more we make ourselves accustomed to, the more needs we start to have.

Are needs the same as wants?  How many of you think that needs are the same as wants?  And how many think needs are different than wants?  What if I ask a question like this, “Honey, I need new socks, my socks have holes.”  Need or want?  “Babe, I know I have an iPhone 7, but I want the new iPhone X.”  Need or want?

So, we can make our own assumptions if wants and needs are the same or different, but how can we know for sure?  The answer is the Bible.  So let’s dive in and see just what the Lord has to say!  Let’s start with the word want.  Turn with me to Psalm 23 “The Lord is My Shepherd; I shall not be in want.”  Okay, so hmmm you mean we’re not supposed to go around like I want that, I want this, I want, I want.  Let’s see what David was trying to get across to us.

David wrote this based on his own experience, because in his earlier years he cared for sheep.  You see sheep are completely dependent on their shepherd for provision, guidance, and protection.  The New Testament calls Jesus the Good Shepherd in John 10:11, it even calls him the Great Shepherd in Hebrews 13:20.  Why is this?  Because He provides us provision, guidance, and protection and if we truly allow Him to guide us, we will be completely content with our lives and therefore not want.  Paul tells us to be content with what we have in Philippians 4:10-13:

“How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me. 11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything through Christ,[a] who gives me strength.”

You see Paul walked with Jesus, Jesus was real for Him.  Paul went where He was told, did what was asked of Him, and was selfless for he devoted his life to the servanthood of Jesus Christ and the great commission.  He was content with whatever he had which sometimes was nothing, sometimes little, and sometimes much.  Regardless whatever the situation, he was content because he knew it was the Lord’s will whatever was happening and had made peace with that.

Answer me this, can you think of anyone who may be or may have acted as a shepherd in your life up to this point?  Maybe it was your parents, guardians, or grandparents, a sibling, aunt, or maybe your uncle, or maybe you’re at an age where your children are caring for you.  You see for our children and maybe some young adults up to this point, you have had or still have someone in your life acting as a shepherd, providing for you, fulfilling your needs, feeding you, making sure you go to school, making sure you’re up for your job.

Well, I’m here to tell you that there will be a day that will come that your current shepherd, be it your parents or whoever that may be will be gone and you will be on your own.  You will need to make decisions, work, pay bills, manage your life, figure things out, but here is the good news, let’s go back to Psalm 23 “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.”  There is, was, and always will be someone to care, love, and protect you and that’s God.

Okay, let’s go back to the Word and explore more on wants.  Turn with me to 1 John 2:15-17:

“Do not love this world or the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a lust for physical pleasure, a lust for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.”

Let’s go over this, let’s see if these passages speak about wanting.

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh…”  The lust of the flesh, let’s see I want a boyfriend or a girlfriend, I want to go on a date, I want to sneak around with someone.  The flesh can be very deceitful with its wants if you allow it.

“…The lust of the eyes”  I want the new iPhone X.  I want a new outfit, I want new shoes, I want, I want, I want this or that.  The eyes see and they want, so yes to the lust of the eyes.

“…and the pride of life”  This is where we feed off of the proud, multimillionaires, super wealthy, actors, and sports players.  We want their life.  We feed off their pride.  We want what they have.  So, yes this also speaks about wanting.  The rest of the verse tells us that these things all come “…not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

So, going through Psalm 23 and 1 John 2:15-17, we see pretty clearly that wanting can be harmful if first, we don’t trust in God and if we follow after the patterns of the world.  We covered a few scriptures on the Word want and why we shouldn’t, and the reason being, because the Lord is our shepherd and in 1 John 2:15-16 that we should not conform to the ways of the world.  The world is fading away along with its lusts and that is why we should not want what the world wants.

Let’s switch over to the word need!  The definition of the word need is this: require something because it is essential or very important.  Let’s see what the Bible says about needs.  Turn with me if you will to Matthew 6:31-34:

“’So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  You see right here the Lord is telling us He will meet our needs, all we need to do is seek Him first.

We also see in Philippians 4:19 “’And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”

You see where it says, but my God will supply all my needs.   If you turn back to Matthew 6:25-26 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more than food and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”  What God is saying there is what?  We are very important and He will supply all our needs.

So, you see that we shall not want and why shall we not want, because God will take care of us.  We also see that God will meet all of our needs if we what?  Seek Him and His righteousness first in our lives, not second.  Can someone explain how we can seek Him first?  When you wake, before you eat, before you travel, just always think of Him in all situations.

So let’s go back to my initial question, how do you know you need something if you don’t know you need it?  What am I talking about?  You see when we were teens, under your parents’ shepherding, you may not know the answer, but now that we are older and it becomes clear.  The answer to the question is by reading the Word of God and the something I’m talking about is Jesus, the Good Shepherd.

I have one more scripture I’d like you to read.  This is my life verse John 15:7:

“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”  How many of you have a personal relationship with Jesus?  Because it all starts there, you accept Christ as your Savior and trust in Him as our good shepherd then you can start your journey down that amazing road known as your Christian walk.

I would feel I was doing a real injustice to you if I didn’t offer the prayer of salvation, so if you all would bow your heads with me, I’d like to say the sinner’s prayer.  You may be reading this and maybe you are not saved, or maybe you have been questioning yourself about the whole thing.  Maybe you’re going through something at school or at home, whatever it is Jesus is here knocking on your heart wanting to come in and heal you, bring peace to you and give you hope.  So, if this is you and you want to give your life to Christ now please just say this simple prayer with me.

Dear Lord, I come to you tonight and I ask you to come into my life.  Reside in me Lord and cleanse me, Father.  I repent of my sins and promise to follow you.  I’m yours, in Jesus name, Amen.