You are not. We are not.

You are not without need, He says to me as I walk barefoot through the sand dunes. I'd done 14 miles without my shoes so far, why was I having so much trouble? You are not without need, He says as each blade of dune grass is sharper and sharper on my feet. You are not without need, He says as I stubbornly stop, refusing to take off my pack, but putting on my newly purchased hiking shoes.

I had done 14 miles in the dunes and in the woods, maintaining the rear counselor position so that the 15 6th graders doing the hike could have an encourager always at their rear. But, this wind was difficult and the shore line was non-existent. My feet needed a break from the frigid lake temperatures so I cut into the dune line the kids were following. For some reason the dune grass was bothering me. I had taken time at the last base camp removing splinters from my feet and had to walk carefully to avoid getting any more. Walking carefully was making me fall behind. Although I wasn't the last, there were a few kids behind me with our final counselor, I was definitely hiking slower than I wanted. It wasn't really a time that I was seeking the Lord. My mind was blank, really, just focusing on the hike and the wind and getting where we were going. I was holding my sandals and just pushing. I was going to not care about the dune grass. You are not without need. You are not without need. So, I put them on and finished the hike.

It wasn't until a week later when this sentiment, this one truth became important and now, a few weeks later, when it is a constant, rhythmic mantra coursing through my mind.

You are not without need. The helper. The hand to hold. The deep rooted surety that we are sons and daughters of the King. You are not without need. The comforter. The adventurer. The fulfilling peace of the Holy Spirit. You are not without need. The encourager. The reminder that we are all broken and all put back together. You are not without need. The challenger. The voice that tells you change is good because God is good. The whisper that puts you on the track to be all that God intended when he created you.

You are not without need. And you are not without promise. Take this moment to acknowledge your thirst and find Him; to understand your need for living water and find Him. Because this is His promise, "I will make you lie down in safety. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know [me]."

God does not say that He might do what is good. He never once says that he might get around to showing us the clear and perfect path. He never says that he'll let us wander and drown for a bit until he feels ready to force us in the right way. He says that he will. He will  be your safety, your righteousness, your faithfulness, your justice, your love. He will.

Will you be deeply needy and allow Him to be all that He promises he is? Will you submit in humility that God's will is so much better, so much sweeter, so much grander than the small ideas we could ever imagine for ourselves? If you have that want, find the need and let Him fill you up.