Leaning

She's a walking miracle - literally, a walking miracle.  My mom is "not supposed" to be alive, and yet, she grabs her walker and hustles around the house, fulfilling her therapy duty!  

It kinda concerned me at first.  She put all of her weight on that bolted-together piece of aluminum, just like it was steel.  

It seems to work, though.  She won't win the Indy 500, but she's sure trying. 

Seeing my mom "lean hard" on her walker has added new meaning to one of my favorite verses.  Proverbs 3:5 says to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and LEAN not on your own understanding."  

Let me explain.  For instance, what would happen if somehow her walker was damaged?  What if someone took a baseball bat to one of the legs and bent it?  What would she do?  Do you think she would use the damaged piece of metal as she had before?  Do you think she would put all of her weight on it, trusting the broken piece wouldn't give way?  I don't think so.  It would be ridiculous for her to think that her walker - in the condition that it was in - would hold her weight.  

Who would do lean on something so faulty, expecting it to hold them up?  

The answer - ME!  

You see, because of the Fall of man in the Garden of Eden...because sin entered the world and the human race...our understanding is just like that damaged walker - frail and flawed.   And therefore, we can't be trusted to "lean" on it.  

Instead, we are told to "lean" on Him...to trust what Jesus has to say about a situation...to trust His leading in a decision, even when it seems crazy and irrational.

For instance, our human nature tells us that when we are hurt by someone, we should retaliate.  We should return evil for evil...right?  And yet, God tells us differently.  God's Word says that revenge is not ours.  It's His.  He tells us to trust that He will repay.  In other words, we have to "lean" NOT on our own understanding, but trust Him to do what He says He will do. 

Our humanity tells us that it's okay to respond whatever way we "feel" is appropriate.  Yet, Scripture tells us to not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom, 12:1).  We can't act like unbelievers, basing our responses on how we feel at the moment.  We are to be transformed, not conformed. We have to trust Him that what He says actually works - leaning NOT on what we think we see, but what He really does see!  

Father thank You that you have not left us to navigate this world with our own understanding.  Thank You that Your Word provides every direction we need to do the right thing and bring You pleasure.  Thank You, Father.