Leaning On Jesus

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart  from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.” —Proverbs 3:5-8

Those verses have been some of my “most-used” over the years.  They represent the every-day struggle that I face – that we all face.  Trusting God and not ourselves.  A good friend shared a teaching a couple of years ago about leaning on Jesus.  The picture was of a disciple – presumably John –  leaning on Jesus at the Last Supper (John 13). I recall in my childhood walking down the road with my best friend, arms across one another’s shoulders.  A sign of genuine affection and heart connection. But back to the picture of the disciple.  Jesus was the Messiah and the source of Truth. All of the disciples, less one, were totally devoted to the Lord. And yet, when Jesus was arrested, their faith – their confidence – their relationship was shaken.  Life has a way of doing that to us. Shaking our confidence in God. Enticing us to abandon our trust in a sovereign God and, instead, turn toward our culture or our own personal, limited – worldly – understanding.  Very often choosing some other way than the Way to place our trust in.

A song has been rumbling in my mind as I typed these words. Learning to Lean. An old Gospel song. Full of truth, but not voiced nearly so often as it once was. Learning to Lean On Jesus, John Stallings.

“Learning to lean, Learning to lean

I'm learning to lean on Jesus

Finding more power than I've ever dreamed

I'm learning to lean on Jesus”

I suppose the point of emphasis here is the word “learning”.  I am reminded of a story about an reporter who interviewed a very successful businessman.  The report asked, “How is it that you are so successful.” The man answered, “By making all the right choices.” The report asked, “How did you learn to make the right choices.” To which the businessman replied, “By making the wrong choices.” We have to learn to lean on Jesus – which means, implicitly, that we will make wrong choices. The question is  - will we learn from them – or will we be so determined to prove  that we know best, that we will continue to trust in someone or something other than God. 

I will close with  quote that I have often used – and is worthy of repeating

“I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am” John Newton – author of Amazing Grace.

How about you? 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone