Leaning on the Lord

Sometimes, I wish God had other ways and means of producing endurance and furthering sanctification than the offensive or frustrating actions of other people. But, if these people are God’s means of making me better, then thank God for them! God can use people to help you and me be more patient, more gentle, more quick to listen and less quick to speak. He can use people to cause us to pray with a greater sense of need and urgency. That’s good. Needy is a good state to be in when what you need is God. “Apart from me you can do nothing,” said Jesus (John 15:5)—and that’s true. We can do nothing of eternal significance, nothing which will please God, apart from the grace of God in Jesus Christ.

I encourage you, as I encourage myself this Sunday night, to thank God for those people and situations that irritate and aggravate and try your patience and elevate your stress. Since God is sovereign, we know these things would not happen if God did not permit them. This means God has provided you and me with a special opportunity to lean and depend upon Him. Run to Jesus and demonstrate to your antagonists that “he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). When others act like the devil, pray for the grace to act like Christ. Lean upon the Lord, humble yourself before Him, admit your powerlessness and depend upon His strength. And stay right there: helpless, humble and depending upon God.

I’m a witness: God will help you. He has helped me.