Leaners And Lifters

Are you a leaner of a lifter? I hope you are both. A leaner is someone who depends on someone else in order to keep him from falling. A lifter is someone who helps another up, or assists in carrying a load they cannot lift themselves. Sounds like leaning and lifting are direct opposites, doesn’t it? Then how in the world can the two be present in the same place? Because there is another world, a spiritual world, where the Holy Spirit represents Christ the Savior, who came from another world to ours so that the Father could lean all of our sins on Him, then lift Him up. The resurrection is the source of the power of His grace that enables us to have His precious indwelling presence both to lean on and to strengthen us to lift ourselves and others.

Let’s take a closer look at the leaner. At first, we might not like being a leaner since we are self made aren’t we! Absolutely not! We all are sinners and that means fallen.

Our leaning direction is manifested by our choices. For example, as we approach the Presidential election, you and I will go in the voting booth leaning for one candidate or another. We will vote our convictions, or leaning, because an outside persuasion has connected our hearts to choose that which we feel to be right. When we are saved by grace, we are convicted that we are a sinner because an outside force, the Holy Spirit, teaches us that we have offended a holy God and then irresistible grace draws us or “leans” us toward our Savior, Jesus Christ. We find sweet fellowship while leaning on Him. Jesus likes His children to lean on Him.

“Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved” John 13:23. And as long as we lean on Jesus, we will be content, and will be on the sort of ground which bears good fruit.

We have a problem though. We sometimes start leaning on something or someone else. And, if we’re not leaning on the Lord, we’re leaning in the wrong direction for God says that “He is the way, the truth, and the life.”

There is a willow tree in my pasture that has begun to lean in the wrong direction. It’s starting to lean over my pasture fence so every time I walk the fences, I look at that tree and think to myself that I will have to cut that tree down before it falls on the fence and the cows get out. Have you surveyed your fences lately? If you have, and there is a tendency in your life that leans a little too heavy on something other than the Lord; like money, pleasure, friends, family, self, or even religion, then you had better cut it down or else the tree will fall in the direction it’s leaning and damage your boundaries and bring much grief instead of joy.

I read a story recently about an old deacon who always prayed, “Lord, prop us up on our leanin’ side”. After hearing him pray that prayer many times, someone asked him why he prayed that prayer so fervently. He answered, “Well sir, you see, it’s like this… I got an old barn out back. It’s been there a long time. It’s withstood a lot of weather, it’s gone through a lot of storms, and it’s stood for many years. It’s still standing, but one day I noticed it was leaning to one side a bit. So, I went and got some pine poles and propped it up on its leaning side so it wouldn’t fall. Then I got to thinking about that and how much I was like that old barn. I’ve been around a long time. I’ve withstood a lot of life’s storms. I’ve withstood a lot of bad weather in life, I’ve withstood a lot of hard times, and I’m still standing too. But I find myself leaning to one side from time to time, so I ask the Lord to prop us up on our leaning side, cause I figure a lot of us get to leaning at times. Sometimes we get to leaning toward anger, leaning toward bitterness, leaning toward hatred, leaning toward cursing, leaning toward a lot of things that we shouldn’t. So, we need to pray, “Lord, prop us up on our leaning side, so we will stand straight and tall again, to glorify the Lord.

Despite our human pride we should lean on the source that will enable us to be lifters. “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.” (James 4:10). In the game of horseshoes a leaner counts for three points. Just to lean on Jesus should lift our spirits and cause us to want to do more for His glory and to show our love and appreciation for His grace.

It’s true that Christ doesn’t need to do any more, for He has completely finished the work necessary for us to lean on Him. But you and I can do more. As we lean more on Him, we are inspired to ask the question “What more can I do”?

                                What More Can You Do?
                      I will do more than belong—I will participate.
                      I will do more than care—I will help.
                      I will do more than believe—I will trust.
                      I will do more than dream—I will work.
                      I will do more than teach—I will inspire.
                      I will do more than earn—I will enrich.
                      I will do more than give—I will serve.
                      I will do more than live—I will grow.
                      I will do more than be friendly—I will be a friend.
                      I will do more than talk—I will listen.
                      I will do more.......(Author Unknown)

May the Lord bless us to lean more on Him than we ever have, to trust Him fully, and not lean to our own understanding. When we come to the point of faith that we realize just how strong God is then we will say “I will do more” for He says “we can do all things through Christ which strengthens us.”

          Brother Randy

The morning of December 20, 2005 was to be a tragic day in the life of my mother and for all that had the privilege to know and love her. For that was the day the phone call came to my office at the Statesboro Primitive Baptist Church informing me that a neighbor had spotted my parents' house on fire. The drive from the church to my parents' home was the most prayerful journey I've taken in a while. Even before reaching the home, a follow-up call indicated that mama was inside the burning house. Upon arriving at the scene, the driveway was filled with EMS, fire trucks, law enforcement officials, and friends and neighbors. I suppose I won't ever forget standing beside a large pine tree near the front of the house and bowing to the news that my mother was dead.

Some of you have dealt with similar tragedies in your lives and I guess these storms can easily unsettle our spirits and even toss us into the depths of despair, except for one thing - "God's unspeakable gift".

    w  How can we describe God's eternal promise, "He will never leave us nor forsake us"? That means
         something when your heart is broken.

    w  How can we go on unless we know that this great gift encompasses life eternal - so eternal that a fire
         can't put it out?

    w  How do we know what grace is unless a prayer is not answered and we still find that God is
         sufficient?

It's times like this that makes you feel real thankful to be a part of God's church on earth. Truly, where could we go without the Lord and whom would we have without God's people?

While the smoke was still smoldering at the scene, a brother in Christ walked up to me, embraced me and said a prayer chain in the church had already began for me and my family. During the next few days, including the memorial services, it was truly overwhelming to see and feel all that you did to make a storm at sea reach a peace with understanding. More than ever, I am convinced that we need grace for ore than eternal life, that it must come from God alone, but He uses His people to deliver it. Thank you for every prayer, card, phone call, love offering for her memorial, flowers, and especially your genuine compassion.

I hope that God will bless me to be as comforting to you as you have been to my family, and me if such a time should come to your life.

          Brother Randy

Perhaps the most quoted part of the Bible during a time of pain and suffering is Romans 8:28. It reads, "We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." This verse has often been misunderstood and perhaps misused, but its truth can bring a great deal of comfort.

The context of Romans 8 emphasizes what God is doing for us. The indwelling Holy Spirit gives us spiritual life, reassures us that we are children of God, and helps us with our prayers during our times of weakness. Romans 8 also puts our sufferings in the bigger picture of what God is doing - that God is working out His plan of redemption. It also reassures of God's love for us, that no one or no thing could ever keep God from accomplishing what he wants to do, and that nothing could ever separate us from His love.

Romans 8 powerfully reassures us that God is working on behalf of all who have trusted His Son as Savior. The verse does not promise that we will understand all the events of life or that after a time of testing we will be blessed with good things in this life. But it does reassure us that God is working out His good plan through our lives. He is shaping us and our circumstances to bring glory to Himself.

"The good news is not that God will make our circumstances come out the way we like, but that God can weave even our disappointments and disasters into His eternal plan. The evil that happens to us can be transformed into God's good. Romans 8:28 is God's guarantee that if we love God, our lives can be used to achieve His purposes and further His Kingdom,"

"But," you may ask, "how can God be in control when life seems so out of control? How can He be working things together for His glory and our ultimate good?"

As the sovereign Lord of the universe, God is using all of life to develop our maturity and Christlikeness, and to further His eternal plan. In order to accomplish those purposes God wants to use us to help others, and He wants other people to help us.