I Learned How To Lean And Depend On Jesus

I had a overnice time in Florida both at Reddish Sox Fantasy Camp, where for the second year in a row my team made it all the fashion to the championship game only to lose in the finals. Notwithstanding it was a dandy week for me to share with my dad filled with a lot of special moments and I won my team's MVP accolade which was nice. Butch Hobson was my manager and Luis Tiant was my bus. Then this past week I was with a group of about twenty American Baptist pastors besides equally the General Secretary of the ABCUSA and the elevation two people at the Minister's & Missionaries Benefit Board. It was dainty for me to preach to kick things off and to hear presentations on a variety of ministry building related topics, but information technology was wonderful to get back home and to be hither for worship this morning.

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February three, 2013
Psalm 71:1-half dozen, Who Are Yous Leaning On?
Doug Scalise, Brewster Baptist Church

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Let'south pray, "O God of all the prophets, y'all knew us and chose us before you lot formed us in the womb. Fill up us with faith that speaks your word, hope that does not disappoint, and love that bears all things for your sake, until that 24-hour interval when we shall know yous fully, even as we are known by yous. Amen."

One of my favorite books in the Bible is the Psalms. Among the 150 psalms nosotros find many that are peculiarly helpful when life is painful, difficult, or challenging. Some Psalms similar the 23rd, 27th, 51st, or 100th sound familiar if we read or hear them. However, there are many that we may not know as well. Psalm 71 is one example; it is written from the perspective of an older person (poesy 9 is, "Practice non cast me off in the time of my old age; do not forsake me when my strength is spent").  Psalm 71 describes how i person leaned on God and was strongly supported throughout life. We are invited to practise the aforementioned. I observe the faith and imagery of this psalm very helpful and encouraging. The psalm begins: "ane In you, O Lord, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame. 2 In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me and salve me. three Be to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress, to salve me, for you are my rock and my fortress. 4 Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel. five For yous, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth. half dozen Upon you I accept leaned from my birth; it was yous who took me from my female parent'southward womb. My praise is continually of you."

What does it mean to be able to say, "For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth. Upon you lot I have leaned from my birth." Commencement, find that this is starting time-person speech to the Lord rather than third-person language nigh the Lord. The statement is not "the Lord is my hope," but "You, O Lord, are my hope." The psalmist's prayer is expressed very personally as if to a life-long friend, which in a sense is who God wants to be for all of us – a lifelong companion. Poetry 17 proclaims, "O God, from my youth you lot have taught me, and I even so proclaim your wondrous deeds." The psalmist doesn't just know almost God, the psalmist knows God. That is why the sense of hope and trust is and so stiff regardless of the presence of the wicked, the unjust and the fell who oppress and threaten. Clearly some things oasis't changed in the world in the thousands of years since the psalm was written. We are yet invited and challenged to lean on the Lord fifty-fifty though the wicked, unjust, and cruel are nevertheless a threat.

Fifty-fifty in the face of difficult circumstances when our faith may waver and hang by a thread, Psalm 71 encourages united states of america to hope in the Lord. Hope is confident desire, a feeling that something desirable is probable to happen. For people of religion, God is the source of our hope, the source of our confidence that something good will happen or can emerge even from disappointment and heartache. The Psalmist is telling the world, "My promise and my trust have been in God since I was young and I'm non going to stop hoping and trusting at present that I'thousand older." Looking back over the course of life, the psalmist is able to impart several spiritual lessons. Kickoff, a strong religion in and devotion to God is no guarantee against problems and complications in life. From the context of the psalm, information technology seems this individual has devoted his life to God, perhaps at the temple as a musician. All the same the very starting time verse of the psalm identifies God as a place of refuge for the psalmist. A place of refuge implies that there is someone or something from which refuge is desired, and indicates a life that isn't complimentary from trouble. Still in the face of trouble, the psalmist still trusts God. Trust is reliance on and confidence in good qualities, especially fairness, truth, accolade, or ability. The Psalmist believes God is trustworthy, true, and honorable. That is why he has leaned on the Lord since his birth.

Secondly, the psalm affirms that information technology'south God'due south nature to provide refuge, deliverance, and support. To lean on someone or something whether a wall, a chair, or the Lord, means that we trust information technology will support united states of america or concur u.s. up. Without that back up we might fall. Accept yous ever had to do "trust falls" every bit office of a squad building practice? I recollect doing them as role of Residential Life Orientation dorsum when I was in college. They had a small step ladder around four or five feet alpine and we had to climb to the meridian and with our back to everyone else. The residuum of the students stood in two lines moving out from the base of the ladder. We were supposed to let ourselves fall backward and trust that the people would catch united states. I remember looking at the folks in our grouping and proverb something to a couple guys I knew who also played sports. I told them "We need to make certain we stay in the middle so no ane hits the floor" because some of the students were great people merely not the strongest folks you've ever met. Everything went okay in our group and we managed to catch everyone, merely in another grouping, 1 person actually got hurt because the grouping failed to catch her and her caput hit the floor. This is non what you desire to have happen in a trust building practise, but it illustrates what can happen in life. Fifty-fifty good people with the all-time intentions can let the states down, but the psalm says God is like a rock or a fortress; nosotros can lean on God and know we're non going to get dropped. The psalm affirms that it is God's nature to provide refuge, deliverance, and back up.

Not long agone I was watching the picture Forrest Gump for the umpteenth time and the scene that caught my attending was when Forrest and his best friend Bubba are in Vietnam and it'southward night and it's raining. Bubba says to Forrest, "I'm gonna lean up against you, y'all but lean right back against me. This manner we don't accept to sleep with our heads in the mud. You lot know why nosotros're a good partnership, Forrest? 'Cause we be watching out for one another, like brothers and stuff." Since hearing that I've been thinking nearly the thought of who are you leaning on? Who is keeping your head out of the mud? Who are you supporting and helping to continue upright? Whether we're married or single, one-time or young, we can be a source of support to other people.

Psalm 71 teaches us a strong faith in and devotion to God is no guarantee against problems and complications in life. Secondly, Psalm 71 affirms that it's God'due south very nature to provide refuge, deliverance, and support. Tertiary, we acquire from the psalmist that nosotros all need somebody to lean on. Not only has the psalmist leaned upon God from birth, he even confesses that it is God who took him from his female parent's womb (poetry 6). This realization of complete dependence on God is no dubiety one that grew with the psalmist's experience and age. In our time, society has managed, in various ways, to continue reducing God's necessity or even involvement in human life so the significance of the psalmist's witness to our dependence on God is difficult to overstate. So many times when nosotros depend on God and lean on the Lord, nosotros will experience the Lord'due south support through other people.

Lauran Bethell is an American Baptist Missionary serving in the Netherlands who works to gainsay human trafficking. She seeks to support others and understands almost depending on and leaning on the Lord. In an online post on Jan xi titled "That's Enough, Huh???"  she shared the following story about her need for housing.  "I had lived in a lovely flat hither for 4 years and would have been happy continuing to living there.  The 2 bedrooms were modest, merely the living room was spacious, and with blow-up beds there was always room for however many guests might evidence up.  I love having guests—and see it every bit a major part of my ministry—people from all over the world coming to learn from the fantabulous examples of anti-trafficking projects here.  But in June the rent went up, and the landlord made it clear that information technology would continue to increase each twelvemonth.  And then I started looking on the internet for culling housing.  Finding nothing that would piece of work for me that was less expensive, I just said, "God, y'all're going to accept to deal with this…I accept neither the time nor energy to spend."

Two months later, I received an e-post from out of the proverbial blueish from friends in Singapore that I had not had contact with in several years. They wanted me to send them my phone number considering their apartment just around the corner from mine was becoming vacant.  I had been in their pent-business firm apartment once—about viii years ago.  Then my response was thus: "Thank you lot and then much for thinking about me with regard to your flat.  Simply there'southward no mode I tin can afford it."

They insisted on calling me—and in the conversation let me know that as they were praying about what to do with the apartment, my name came to their minds and they were compelled to offer information technology to me for whatever rent I could pay.  Their only criteria was that the flat be used for God's purposes.  "There's one caveat, though," they said.  "It has a thousand piano in it."  At that indicate, I began to cry.  Those of yous who know me, know that in times past, I've played the pianoforte.  I haven't had one for years due to lack of space and time.  But I love playing.  And in 1 moment, I knew that God had gone before and met the quiet want of my eye for more music in my life—and more space for ministry building.  Iii days afterward moving in, I hosted five women from Republic of bulgaria who are working in anti-trafficking endeavors.  They were all able to sleep in real beds in the spacious guest-room." When we have these experiences of leaning on the Lord and God proving trustworthy it serves to deepen our trust and encourage our faith.

Psalm 71 echoes the affirmation of Deuteronomy 33:27a, "The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." The former hymn, Leaning on the Everlasting Artillery, was inspired by that verse. A more recent song, relatively speaking,

Bill Wither's Lean on Me, was # 1 in the US in July of 1972.  It's near similar a 20th century psalm, although it doesn't expressly speak of God. The vocal has remained popular for 40 years and is still heard on the radio, in office due to its universal message that at times we all need someone to lean on. In that location is no one better to lean on than Jesus. Think of the Lord singing this vocal to yous.

"Sometimes in our lives
We all have pain
We all take sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there's always tomorrow

Lean on me, when you lot're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on

Delight eat your pride
If I have things you need to borrow
For no one tin fill those of your needs
That y'all won't let testify

You just phone call on me brother, when you need a paw
We all need somebody to lean on
If in that location is a load you lot have to behave
That y'all tin can't behave
I'k right up the road
I'll share your load,
If you lot simply call me."

Jesus invites us to call on him in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and apprehensive in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is piece of cake, and my brunt is light."  Learning to lean on Jesus to depend, rely, and rest on him is a crucial part of our spiritual journey. When we lean on the Lord, he will be our friend and assistance usa carry u.s. on. Every time you lean back in a chair, or in your car, or against a doorway or wall, may it remind you to inquire, am I leaning on the Lord at this moment?

Finally, a significant aspect of our lives should be the praise of God. The psalmist declares in verse six, "My praise is continually of y'all." This is our only possible response to God's steadfastness and grace toward u.s.a.. Fifty-fifty though we may experience problem we will still trust and hope in the same God nosotros know to be our stone and fortress, and who is worthy of our continual praise.

Blessing: Isaiah 41:10

"Do not fear, for I am with you,

do non exist agape, for I am your God;

I will strengthen you, I will aid you,

I will uphold you with my victorious right manus."

Proverbs 3:5, half dozen (KJV), "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine ain agreement. In all thy means acknowledge him, and he shall straight thy paths."

Source: https://brewsterbaptistchurch.org/who-are-you-leaning-on/

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