We All Need Somebody to Lean On

May 13, 2008 by admin.

In Christ Jesus, the Savior worthy of our praise and our trust, dear Christian friends, and especially you, Thomas, today’s confirmand,

Bill Withers was born in Slab Fork, West Virginia, in 1938, the youngest of nine children. He was raised in nearby Beckley, a small coal-mining town. His father died when he was just 13. Bill entered the Navy when was 17 and served for nine years. When he returned, he became a song-writer, and in 2005 was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. His songs included such hits as “Just the Two of Us” and “Ain’t No Sunshine.” But he’s probably best known for a song that he wrote after reflecting upon life back in the town in which he was raised. Bill Withers remembered that even though times were hard during his childhood, still it always seemed that whenever someone needed something, the rest of the community would chip in and help. With this in mind he wrote a song that reached the top of the charts in July of 1972 and summed up this kind of giving spirit. The song was entitled, “Lean on Me.”

That’s a fitting theme in and of itself for today, a day in which we remember our mothers and how often they were there for us, encouraging us to “lean on me” when we were in need. But this morning I’d like to use one of the lines from this song of Mr. Withers to center our thoughts. As he offers to help others by telling them in song to “lean on me,” he rightly concludes:

“We All Need Somebody to Lean On”

I. Our own understanding will let us down

II. Trust in the Lord will clear paths for us

We like to think that we can truly be self-sufficient, that we really don’t need anyone else’s help in life, that we can handle things on our own all by ourselves. Such thinking gives us a feeling of power and independence. But such thinking is only foolishness. Truth is, “we all need somebody to lean on!” That’s because we’re sinful people, which means we’re imperfect people, which means we’re going to face situations which will require some help from others. It’s not so much a sign of weakness on our part to admit that “we all need somebody to lean on.” Consider it more a case of simple reality. Back in the Garden of Eden the Lord stated that it was not good for man to be alone. There are times when we need others in our lives.

Living in a sinful world guarantees that there will be times when we will be in need. What are some of those times? Get out your checklists. Have you ever had financial difficulties, when the dollars in your checkbook ran out before the days in the month did? Anyone out there have the perfect marriage, or are there times when you’ve needed a little help? How about your job? Never a problem there, right? Parents, you always love your kids and, kids, you always love and obey your parents, right? What about school? Everything you want it to be with great teachers and friends who always treat you right? And we’re all pictures of physical and mental health, so not anything to worry about there I suppose. Need I go on? Anyone doubt me now? So often in our lives it’s true: “We all need somebody to lean on.”

Still, when the going gets tough, we tend to turn to ourselves for answers. Our text for today exposes such faulty thinking (v 5), “Lean not on your own understanding.” This isn’t to say that we’re ignorant, with no coping skills and no ability to help ourselves. But the reminder is needed that ultimately we need to understand that we have limitations, especially in the spiritual realm when it comes to our salvation and our ability to live as God’s children.

Consider for a moment what happens when man leans on his own understanding to figure things out, apart from any divine assistance. When it comes to the origin of the world, we develop a theory known as evolution that hides its unprovable nature behind millions and even billions of years. And yet we call it “scientific.” Mankind’s understanding has declared that anyone who purposefully injures a pregnant woman and causes her to lose her child can be tried for murder, and yet if that very same woman decides to “murder” that child by having an abortion, it’s mankind’s understanding that this is perfectly legal. Our own understanding of the source of true happiness points us to a god, but that god is made up of the green paper and plastic cards found in our wallets. When it comes to troubles in marriage it’s our understanding that instead of taking the time to work things out, it’s much easier and more convenient to just part ways and divorce. By our own understanding, you better enjoy the time you have on this earth, because once you’re gone, that’s it. Any talk of an afterlife is simply a way of giving hopeless people hope for a future that will never come to be. And don’t think for a moment that the weakness of our own understanding is limited to unbelievers. How many Christians haven’t given into the temptation of leaning only on their own intellect and exposing such a fault with questions such as: “Why is God punishing me?” “Doesn’t God care about me?” “Why doesn’t God do something to help me?” “Why doesn’t he answer my prayers?”

Unbeliever and believer alike can be found guilty of misplaced trust. Far too often we misuse our intellect. Keep in mind that wisdom is meant to be a gift from God, not a rival to him. There’s nothing wrong with being smart, but use that gift with humility in service to the Lord and to others.

Just don’t lean on it. Proverbs 14:12 warns us, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” If it’s true that we all need somebody to lean on, and we can’t lean on our own understanding, then where do we turn? Trust in the Lord! Such trust will clear paths for us!

Sometimes at night when I go to bed, Thomas has fallen asleep with his TV on in his room. Being the room of a typical 14-year old boy, I navigate carefully in the dimly-lit room to turn off the TV because of the many things which are often found on the floor, obstructing my path. My son’s room can serve as a picture of life in this sinful world. There are so many “things” – so many temptations – threatening to clutter up our path through this life to our life eternal. It’s only with divine intervention that we can complete our journey safely (vv 5,6), “Trust in the LORD with all your heart . . . and he will make your paths straight.” Only God can clear the way and make our paths straight, safely leading us to heaven.

How does he accomplish this? By getting us to become more acquainted with him (v 6), “In all your ways acknowledge him.” To “acknowledge” the Lord simply means to “know” him. First of all know what he has done for you. At the top of the list has to be the cross, since without the cross we’d have no reason to trust in the Lord. It’s by that cross that God in heaven gave full proof of his love for us, not even holding back his very own Son when it came to our salvation. Knowing what he has done for us, that he delivered on his promise to make things right with us again, encourages us also to be anxious to know what he can do for us still today. He can still guide us with his Word, protect us with his power, rescue us from troubles, and strengthen us with his love. And as we “acknowledge him” in our words and actions, we serve as living advertisements for the rest of the world to see, giving more and more people the opportunity to learn more about their Savior.

Since we all need somebody to lean on, we are wise to pick someone who won’t let us down. So we’re told (v 5), “Trust in the LORD with all your heart.” To “trust” could be defined as putting your full weight upon someone or something. If I came running up to you and yelled out “Catch me!” while jumping into your arms, I better trust that you have the strength to support a “full-bodied” man such as myself. If we are told by God himself to “trust” in him, then he’s assuring us that he is powerful enough, not only to catch us, but to carry us through this life to the life that is to come.

Notice that we’re told to trust in the Lord “with all your heart” – not necessarily with all our mind. Remember, our “own understanding” often leads us astray. So it’s with the heart that we believe what doesn’t always make sense to our minds. For example, with our hearts we believe what Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” With our hearts we believe that no matter how lonely we may feel, God promises us (Heb 13:5), “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Our own understanding may question it, but with our hearts we believe that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Ro 8:28). The Holy Spirit has already convinced us in our hearts to believe that Jesus is God’s answer to his promise and to our prayers. Should there be any reason not to trust him now?

“We all need somebody to lean on.” If that’s the case, then trust in the Lord, the one who “will make your paths straight.” He does this by putting blinders on us when needed, much like those worn by a horse running a race. As we run the race of life, we need to keep focused on what’s ahead, on the goal of heaven. Otherwise we could be too easily distracted and led off the path to what’s most important. Thomas, as you look forward to entering your high school years, the distractions will become greater. You will have pressure from your peers, even if you attend a Christian high school, to do things contrary to God’s will. You’ll be tempted to resist and rebel against those in authority. You’ll be enticed into thinking that you have all the answers you need. The devil will want you to lean more on yourself and less on your Lord.

When this happens, I want you to turn to your confirmation memory verse, the words before us this morning, “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.” Of all the things that I could teach us as your father, the greatest blessing I can pass on to you is found in these words: “Trust in the LORD.” Here’s your key to a happy life, a fulfilling life, a life that has true meaning and purpose: “Trust in the LORD.” He’s the one who made us, who redeemed us from death and the devil, and who will glorify us for all eternity. “Trust in the Lord.” He has all the answers you’ll ever need – for this life and the next!

On Mother’s Day we take time out to thank our moms for all they do, for always being there to put that band-aid on our scraped knee, for giving us that reassuring hug after a bad day, for running us around to all our sporting events and appointments – for just being someone we can always lean on. But even moms make mistakes and, yes, even moms may let us down at times. That’s why we thank them most of all for helping teach us about Jesus, the Savior who’s always there for us! There is no greater gift that a mother could give!

“We all need somebody to lean on.” That’s not a problem, not when we have a Savior who proclaims, “You can always lean on me!”

Amen

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