Gears of Need

Have you ever noticed how relationships are like gears?  I recently had the opportunity to see that.  I also had the privilege to see that God created it that way.   Before we go any further, picture a set of round gears…  3 disks with the teeth and craters all working together.  The first gear turns and its teeth fit into the crater of the second gear and turn it.  In turn, the teeth of the second gear fit into the craters of a third gear which causes it to turn.  There could pretty much be an infinite number of wheels in a line all being turned from the first wheel.  For my illustration, Jesus is going to be the first wheel because Jesus is our source for life.

I was recently having a very difficult day and was feeling very low, unappreciated, unloved, and unlovable.  I went to my RIZPAH prayer meeting and shared that my depression was getting me down but didn’t say anything about how far down I was.  When we had finished our lesson and sharing of prayer concerns we went to prayer time.  I was finding it very difficult to pray for the spoken requests and every time I tried, I was always brought back to a single prayer need.  It was a prayer for me.  I was telling Jesus that I needed to crawl up into his lap and have him wrap his arms around me tightly as a child crawls up in their daddy’s lap for reassurance that they are loved and safe.  I was begging to feel his presence in a very real way.  I just kept telling him that I needed a real time hug.  I knew I could ask for a hug from my “sisters” and they would give me that hug, but for what I needed, asking for the hug would negate what I needed it to say.

After we prayed together for a spell, one of my “sisters” said she felt like Jesus was telling her that there was a prayer request that wasn’t spoken and un-prayed-for and that it was one that needed to be addressed.  We sat and waited and prayed for that need to come forth.  I was thinking that although I needed prayer, there must be something more pressing that Jesus was referring to:  but I knew that my need could very well be the un-prayed prayer.  The ladies were talking about how HIS presence was so strong.  I felt it too.  One of the ladies said that she felt like someone in the room needed to crawl up and sit on Jesus’ lap.  She was thinking that someone needed a hug.   As we ended prayer, a third “sister” said “I think Freddy needs a hug”.  She came over and hugged me and another came and just wrapped her arms around me and sat and just held me tightly.  I just cried.  They got exactly what I needed.

So, how is that like a gear?  Well, Jesus could have just filled my need himself but HE chose to use my “sisters” to fulfill that need instead.  HE was telling me, as well as my “sisters”, that HE gave us each other because we can all do HIS work.  HE can use us to help others feel HIM.   For a group of ladies who get together weekly to pray for the salvation of our, and each others, unsaved loved ones, that is exactly what we needed to hear.

Well, that in itself would be interesting but he didn’t stop there.  Although I got the affirmation I needed, I also needed some “friend time” before returning back to my responsibilities.  I was hoping I could ask one of my sisters to lunch but didn’t have any money that day.  I was going to just leave after the meeting.  One of the ladies said that this was going to sound very strange and although she felt strange suggesting it she felt like Jesus was telling her to so she was going to obey and say it.  She was going to run an errand to purchase something special for someone we have been praying for and she felt like she was supposed to ask us to join her.  Several of us went with her to Sam’s Club.  When we got there, they didn’t have the item in stock but I had gotten some more “friend time”.  Jesus was telling us that it wasn’t about the item at the store but about the time together and about following Him.  We then went to one of the ladies houses for lunch together.  That day all of my needs had been met through my “sisters” who were obedient to their LORD even when they didn’t understand the charge or understand the reason behind what they were being told to do.  You see, Jesus turned his gear– which turned a “sister’s” gear which put its tooth in the crater of my need and turned my gear.

HE doesn’t create a need (a crater) without also supplying the solution (the tooth).

We are just so used to having the gears turn that we don’t stop to think and marvel at them.  We take them for granted.  But we didn’t on that day.  We all relished in seeing how the gears had worked and how HE had put them in place and turned them Himself.

So, when Jesus’ wheel is being turned into your wheel and you feel the need to say or do something but you don’t understand why – don’t fight him.  Turn with him.  You may not see what he is really working to accomplish.  After it is done, it could be like our situation and you will be able to see the results or your wheel may just turn someone else’s wheel which will turn yet another person’s wheel before finally fulfilling a need.

Be confident that if Jesus is turning your wheel, there is a reason.

“Gears of Need” was written by Freddy Chakhachiro.