Early morning whispers. “If you think you are leaning well, take heed lest you start standing up straight.” I lay in bed, aware Holy Spirit was speaking. It was one of those mornings of getting straight out of bed and sitting at the computer—no splash of water in the face, no cup of tea, not even a moment of “formal” devotional time. I sensed God was saying something important.

I looked up the verse I knew Holy Spirit had used to make a little joke, I knew it was a HUGE teaching for me. “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (I Corinthians 10:12, NIV). In this verse, God lovingly warns against pride – because when we get prideful, about anything, a fall is coming. Proverbs 16:18 warns “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (NIV).

Writers know that the less words used, the clearer the message. Mark Twain said, “I didn’t have time to write you a short letter, so I wrote you a long one.” Nevertheless, whenever I talk about staying in victory through leaning on Him, I preface my comments with some “extra” words, which are – even the leaning is BY GRACE ALONE. Why? I have (by grace alone!!!) learned the danger of thinking that walking well with the Lord comes by my effort. Here are four Bible-based reasons I know this is true.

[1] All we have comes from God. Romans 11:36 tells us “For everything comes from Him and exists by His power and is intended for His glory” (NLT). When King David was offering to God the treasures he had accumulated for building the temple. David blessed and adored the Lord before all the people. He acknowledged God’s greatness and God’s ownership of the heavens and earth:

“Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all. In Your hand are power and might; in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. Now, our God, we give You thanks, and praise Your glorious name. But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.” (I Chronicles 29:13-14, NIV)

God repeats this truth often in His Word. Obviously, He wants it imprinted on our hearts. I believe He does that because it helps shield us against pride. James 1:17 tells us:

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us His true word. And we, out of all creation, became His prized possession. (NLT)”

And Ephesians 2:8-9 declares: “God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” (NLT)

[2] Only God can change the heart. You have likely heard Jeremiah 17:9, which says “The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly perverse and corrupt and severely, mortally sick! Who can know it [perceive, understand, be acquainted with his own heart and mind]? (AMPC)” The KJV says “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

So, who can understand the human heart? In I Chronicles 28:9 God says He understands the heart and the mind and every thought we have. In light of the natural state of our heart, how good it is that God promises a new heart!

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” (Ezekiel 36: 26-27, NIV)

How blessed we are that God not only tells us how to get a new heart but also a new mind. In Romans 12:2 He spells out:

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (NIV)

[ 3] Even our desire to please God comes from Him. When a crowd was arguing that Jesus could not really be the Bread of Life because they knew His father, Joseph, and mother, Mary, Jesus replied:

“Don’t bicker among yourselves over me. You’re not in charge here. The Father who sent me is in charge. He draws people to me—that’s the only way you’ll ever come. Only then do I do my work, putting people together, setting them on their feet, ready for the End” (John 6:44-46, The Message).

I Corinthians 1:30 firmly declares who is responsible when we finally think and when we finally live right. “Everything that we have – right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start – comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. (The Message).” That is crystal clear!

[4] We are truly only humble servants. Could it be any clearer than what God says in Philippians 2:12-13, that it is God working in us that causes us to want to do His will and live so that we fulfill His purpose in our life? Spending some time prayerfully pondering Paul’s words in verses 12 and 13 using the Amplified version is beneficial here. Notice that Paul urges his readers to have an attitude of reverence and awe BECAUSE it is God who is working in them, giving them the power and desire to follow Him. Here is the AMPC translation:

(12)“Therefore, my dear ones, as you have always obeyed [my suggestions], so now, not only [with the enthusiasm you would show] in my presence but much more because I am absent, work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ). (13) [Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.” (Emphasis added)

Thus, therefore, consequently, because of the truths we just saw, for those infallible reasons in the Word of our awesome, compassionate and gracious God–we can have TOTAL confidence and faith and trust in God to keep us close IF we do our part by seeking Him. Why? Because being close to God requires that we live like Jesus, to the best of our ability, and God promises to never forsake those who base their requests for legitimate needs on His Word. We obviously need God’s help to live like Jesus. Consider these three verses.

[A] “Whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did.” (I John 2:6, NIV)

[B] “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us-whatever we ask-we know that we have what we asked of him. (I John 5:14-15, NIV)

[C] “And they who know Your name [who have experience and acquaintance with Your mercy] will lean on and confidently put their trust in You, for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek [inquire of and for) You [on the authority of God’s Word and by right of their necessity.] (Emphasis added)(Psalm 9:10, AMPC)

• So, we are asking for something we know is God’s will (living like Jesus) because He tells us to do it, (1 John 2:6)
• It is a genuine need (we can do nothing righteous in our own effort (Isaiah 64:6), and
• We are basing our request on the authority of God’s Word (Psalm 9:10).

In sum, we are seeking to live as Jesus did, because God told us to, which is “the authority of His Word”, and our need for His help in doing that gives us the “right of necessity.”

Notice that this works for those who are seeking God. In the AMPC, the word “seek” often includes the phrases “inquire of and for and require”. This obviously means people who are desperately seeking God, people who have learned, by experience, what Jesus taught in John 6:36, that “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life (NV).”

Two powerful psalms to pray. Have you heard the verse, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me”? This is part of the psalm wherein David confesses his sin with Bathsheba and then sincerely, with his whole heart, repents. All of us have sinned and “. . . we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Romans 3:23, NLT). This psalm should catapult us all into humility, the only right attitude to have about living this life of leaning on Him alone.

Another comforting, reassuring psalm about asking God to keep us close is Psalm 25. I have pondered this psalm every morning for weeks now and never fail to be reassured that God is and will continue to guide me, with all my human failings, into the paths He has chosen for me. How beautiful are these words to the thirsty heart:

[9] He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way.

[10] All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of His covenant.

[11] For the sake of your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

[12} Who then is the man that fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.” (NIV)

One final thought. If you are leaning so hard you think you might fall over, you are probably walking well, for God has said—for our comfort, for our encouragement, dear friend:

“My grace is all you need, for My power works best in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9, NLT)

Therefore, let us say, with Paul,

“So for the sake of Christ, I am well pleased and take pleasure in infirmities, insults, hardships, persecutions, perplexities and distresses; for when I am weak [in human strength], then I am [truly] strong [able, powerful in divine strength.]” (2 Corinthians 12:10, AMPC)

And, lest you think I sound overly confident about not being overly confident, next week’s blog post will indicate quite the contrary, dear friend and fellow pilgrim!