The Deepest Need of All
Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. - (Romans 12:12)
Nebuchadnezzar had conquered most of the civilized world. And when there were no more wars to fight, he turned his energies to Babylon. With all the wealth he accumulated and the slaves he acquired from carrying people away from their homeland, Nebuchadnezzar had unparalleled opportunities to do whatever he wanted to do.
Some of the world’s architectural wonders were in Babylon. At 350 feet high and 87 feet wide, Babylon’s city walls had enough room for six chariots to race side by side. The city’s 100 gates were made of burnished bronze, and a single palace covered 11 acres. One banquet hall seated 10,000 people. It was a very impressive place.
Yet despite the fact that Nebuchadnezzar was safe behind his towering walls and massive gates, with guards at his beck and call, God penetrated it all and got to his heart. Nebuchadnezzar was troubled by a dream.
Some of the hardest people to reach are those who are at rest in their house, those who, because of all they have, may not see their real spiritual condition. I think it’s a mistake to appeal only to unhappy, lonely, and empty individuals when we share the gospel. Not everyone is unhappy, empty, and lonely at every given moment. There are some people who will have bursts of happiness. Their life will be going relatively well.
I’m not saying that Jesus doesn’t reach out to unhappy, lonely, empty people. But we must go to the deepest need of all: their eternal destiny.
What is true of every person at any given moment is that he or she will go to one of two places beyond the grave. The thing to remember is there is no person, regardless of how famous or powerful they are, who is beyond the reach of prayer.
Copyright © 2017 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
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