Rejoicing In The Word For Ladies – Learning to Lean (Oct. 2024)

“Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.” (Jeremiah 17:5-6)“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.” (Prov. 3:5-6)

Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee: (Jeremiah 32:17)

How do I lean on the everlasting arms rather than the arm of flesh? This looks like spiritual stability. I can find this by resting (or keeping) myself in the love of God (Jude v.21). There are three steps to follow:

1. Build – Build on the basics. My feet are on solid ground when I apply the foundational practices of Christian growth regularly – spending time in God’s Word, prayer, fellowshipping with the saints to receive the edification, encouragement, and uplifting companionship found in the company of believers, serving consistently with my time and talents, etc. If I don’t build myself and my spiritual health with the good, old-fashioned basics, I will easily fall apart (the faulty flesh!).

2. Pray – Pray in faith. Pray with the attitude of being continually in His presence. Pray as infirm, needing healing. Pray as seeking, crying out for help. Pray humbly; pray boldly. Pray as victorious, claiming His promises. Pray according to His Word. When I neglect to pray, I am taking responsibility for everything into my own hands (the faulty flesh!).

3. Look – Look to Jesus. When I fail to look to Jesus, my focus will turn to the circumstances and people who must sometimes let me down (the faulty flesh!). I will get overwhelmed.

Build! Pray! Look! We lean on the everlasting arms by keeping ourselves in the love of God. He is the Master Craftsman- the work is His, not mine.

“But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” (Jude v. 20-21) ~V.K.S.