Be Careful What You Lean On

I love old things. I can spend hours in an antique store or a museum. As I walk around, I drink in the exquisite workmanship and unique designs as I ponder what life was like back for those who paved the way for where I am now.

Many of these old pieces of furniture are made of solid wood, unlike much of what we find today. They appear solid and strong. Yet, as I walk through an old farmhouse one day, I lean on what I think is a sturdy table. My assessment proves wrong as both me and parts of table land on the floor.  As I pick myself up and dust myself off, I try to hide my embarrassment at having chosen such a poor means of support.

There have been times in my life when I take the risk of confiding in someone, hoping to gain some insight. Like the table that appears dependable, but isn’t, my conversation in someone I think I can trust, falls apart. I am left confused and hurt as the person I thought I could trust, betrays my confidence with gossip about me. Obviously, I made the wrong choice in a support system.

In Proverbs 3:5-6 the Bible says,
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (NIV)

My grasp of a situation is nowhere near God’s.  What I can see myself is just a drop in the bucket compared to God’s omniscient view of things.  He created me and He knows me inside and out – both strengths and weaknesses.  While God grants me many areas of competency and proficiency, I can’t possibly know everything or know how to approach every situation.

We are asked to trust in the Lord but with a caveat – with all our heart.  To truly trust is many faceted: absolute reliance on God’s provision; firm confidence in His best interest for me; a strong assurance that God has the capability to oversee my life.

If I have confidence in God to direct my life, I can thrive because I know He has my best interests in mind. While I do trust God, I am sadly lacking in the “all my heart” part of it on many occasions.  There is still that nagging inside me that wants to figure things out myself.  Yet, how much stress is gone when I lean totally on God and trust that He will work things out for my good?

This Scripture passage goes further in asking us to acknowledge the Lord in all our ways.  There is no mincing words here – it’s “all” of our ways that God wants from us.  That means keeping God on our radar consistently, not just when it is convenient for us. God is there to direct and assist with all parts of our lives, no matter how small or inconsequential we believe them to be.

I know my days are different when I recognize that God plays an important role in my life.  It doesn’t mean my life runs smoothly; it just means that I have purpose and direction through whatever happens to me.

This Proverbs verse goes further to give us a promise – that God will make our ways straight when we acknowledge Him.  Part of me laughs at that – how often do I wish I could see around the bend in the road?  But God, in His wisdom, doesn’t show me around the curve because it is too much to handle.  
So, what does it mean that He will make my way straight?  It is the basic around which all of the Bible is focused – Christ.  My sinful nature creates an obstacle to getting to heaven.  But Jesus’ dying and rising again has taken away that obstacle and my pathway is clear and the goal of heaven is attainable.
In my humanness, many times I lean on things that really aren’t that stable.  Thankfully, I can rely on God to pick me up when my world crashes around me.  He is there – ever loving, ever caring, ever providing.
Be careful what you lean on – the things of this world are fragile and often lead to destruction.  Leaning on God is what is best.

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