Requiring God as My Vital Necessity

I wonder if, from time to time, God sets up our circumstances so that we have to go back to zero. Many of us have done a lot of work in the process of forgiveness and repentance, but we never have the liberty to say, “I am done with this!” until God Himself makes that statement. Yes, I can make my choices to set the direction of my heart as a once and forever dealing, but often God will take us back to these same choices to solidify their reality.

My Vital Necessity at Zero

Today I’m having one of those days that says, “Have I even made the first step in this direction?” Maybe it’s the enemy or possibly God pushing me for a deeper level of choice, but today feels rather squishy under my feet. My heart is not where I would like it to be and it disturbs me. Yet I do know one thing. Usually when you’re at your lowest, completely destitute of the realities you’ve chosen, God is about to do a miracle.

Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity] and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:13 AMP

Ground zero is not only about human deficit; it’s also about human dependence. I’m in a place that has to require Him as my vital necessity. In actuality, we are always there, but sometimes the soul can fool us to think we are just fine on our own.

My temptation in this state is to focus on my lack and spiral into a pool of despair, but the call of God is to look up and see that my Redeemer draweth nigh. The enemy always wants to pull my eyes down to gaze upon myself and to look at the circumstances, but God’s holy purpose is for the miraculous. Our desperation is God’s invitation to us to experience His miraculous intervention.

Desperation and the Vital Necessity

I write this post as an encouragement to any who feel the desperation of need. This is for those entering into a desperate time or standing in the midst of testing. In a crisis of belief is where we require God to be our vital necessity.

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Hebrews 11:6 NKJV

Phillips translates this scripture this way: The man who approaches God must have faith in two things, first that God exists and secondly that it is worth a man’s while to try to find God.

In this light, maybe our desperate situations aren’t as despairing as they seem. Maybe they’re purposed to turn us toward the One for whom we’re actually desperate. By requiring God as our vital necessity, we stand opposed to all that would say He neither exists nor is worth our while to find.

* Required as Vital is an amazing booklet by Martha about what it means to require God as our vital necessity.