Leaning On Jesus - No. 59
Song of Solomon 8:5, “Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved.”
The Song of Solomon is a very precious book of the Bible. It is a beautiful picture of marriage. It is also a picture of Christ and His bride. The above Scripture also reveals God’s intention for us. It is also a picture of the journeyings of Israel in the wilderness. She went into the wilderness with an independent spirit, full of doubts, murmurings and complainings against the Lord. At the end of forty years she eventually comes forth dependent upon God.
Although we are born dependent (Psalm 22:10), reliant upon our mother’s breasts, it doesn’t take long before the independent spirit takes over. The spirit of this age programs women to be independent. They are taught in school and college to be independent. They are warned that marriage may not work and therefore they must prepare for an independent lifestyle. To rely on a husband is considered weakness. But independence is a trait of the flesh. It does not belong to the kingdom of God. It was independence and pride that caused Satan to be cast out of the heavenly realm. (Isaiah 14:12-15)
The Word of God continually warns us about relying on our own self-sufficiency. Instead, we are encouraged over and over again to trust in the Lord and to lean upon Him.
Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.
Our ability and understanding is flimsy. When we lean upon it, it will bend and often break beneath us. Also, when we lean to our own understanding, we usually lean to what suits us. We lean toward selfishness. We lean towards the easy way out. We may think that “our way” is the best, but it may not be the best decision in the long term. God’s ways, even though contrary to everything we want to do, will always lead to the ultimate blessing. No wonder Proverbs 28:26 says, “He that trusts in his own heart is a fool.” Isaiah 36:6 tells us that when we lean upon Egypt (which is a type of the world’s wisdom) it will go into the hand and pierce it. Please take time to also read Isaiah 30:1-3 and 31:1-3.
But when we lean upon our God, He will never fail us. We can lean hard. We can put our whole weight upon Him and He will not move. He is our Rock. He is our Fortress. He is our Buckler. We cannot fall for underneath are the everlasting arms. (Deuteronomy 33:27)
Get into the habit of leaning. It is not weakness. It is godly. It is the true spirit of marriage and a picture of the bride of Christ leaning upon her Beloved. It is true spirit of our relationship with the Lord.
The word ‘lean’ in the Hebrew is ‘sha-an’ and it depicts an attitude of trust and ultimate dependence. This same word is translated by other words in the King James Bible:
2 Chronicles 13:18, “The children of Judah prevailed, because they relied (sha-an) upon the Lord God of their fathers.”
2 Chronicles 14:11, “And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest (sha-an) on Thee, and in Thy name we go against this multitude.”
Isaiah 50:10, “Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay (sha-an) upon his God.” (Isaiah 10:20)
Dear mother, why not try leaning upon the Lord today rather than trying to do everything in your own strength. It is not weakness but ultimate maturity.
Love from NANCY CAMPBELL
PRAYER:
“Oh God, I repent of my independent spirit and wanting to do things my way. I repent of my independence in my marriage. I repent of “going down to Egypt” and leaning on the counsel of this world. Oh Lord, when I lean upon my own resources, I fail. Please teach me to lean upon you moment by moment. Please help me to trust in your unfailing strength. Amen”
AFFIRMATION:
Leaning, leaning,
Safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Hymn written by Elisha A. Hoffman