Lean On God

"The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms..."

(Deuteronomy 33:27)

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not on your own understanding."

(Proverbs 3:5)

According to Dr. Harold Koenig of Duke University, people who are actively involved with a supportive faith community will live an average of 7-14 years longer than those who have no involvement. Those of us involved in a supportive faith community see this statistic in action nearly every day. The way our church rallies around those who are in need of support is amazing! The impact of faithful positive social support was especially evident after Hurricane Sandy. 

God wants to be our lean-to and wants us to be the lean-tos for others when there is a need, showing God’s love by supporting others. But there are those who have no chance to see the impact of a loving faith community because they are isolated away from a community of faith for various reasons. It is up to us to be fruitful and share our faith stories with those who have no idea what it feels like to have others of faith to lean on in times of trouble. But for some, leaning on God and others is not an easy thing to do. People in our culture may hide their sorrows and pain because they don't trust God enough. They believe they have to "tough it out" on their own. 

Joyce Rupp, in her book, May I Have This Dance, says: “We have a wonderful lean-to in God whose heart always welcomes us and provides refuge for us. The church offers people who stand by us and offer warmth, support and refuge…. Little things become very significant when we are weak: a smile, a song, a sunrise, a bird’s chirp, a phone call or a letter – all of these can give us strength for our recovery.”

Jesus needed his lean-tos and so do we.We all need lean-tos and we all need to be lean-tos for others. Jesus even sought out lean-to friends as he traveled during his ministry. In Bethany, he went to the home of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. They always had a place for him where he could kick off his sandals and feel at home. Another example where Jesus shows us to lean on one another is when he brings his disciples with him to the Garden of Gethsemane and asks them to stay awake with him as he prayed. And again on the cross he leans on his beloved disciple John by asking him to take care of his mother, Mary.

The Psalms are filled with images of God as an encircling shield, a shelter, a stronghold when times are tough, our rock and our fortress. God is there for us to lean on as a comfort in illness and our shining light of hope in the dark times. Psalm 59:16 – “And so I will sing of your strength, in the morning acclaim your faithful love; you have been a stronghold for me, a refuge when I was in trouble.”

A Prayer for Leaning on God

God who dwells within, God who is with us in good times and in bad, we turn our hearts to you as we remember that nothing can come between us and your love for us. Thank you for helping us become more resilient even through the difficult times. We trust that the power of your love works constantly in our lives as we lean on you and on others in this faith community. During the remainder of this Lenten Season, remind us to lean upon you as our rock and our redeemer and come to Easter morning with our lives feeling refreshed and renewed. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen