Someone to lean on (Psalm 4:1)

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 4:1 (TM)

When I call, give me answers. God, take my side! Once, in a tight place, you gave me room; Now I'm in trouble again: grace me! hear me!

STORY:

The soldier's first article of faith is summed up nowhere more eloquently than in an 1865 letter from William Tecumseh Sherman to U.S. Grant: "I knew wherever I was that you thought of me, and if I got in a tight place you would come--if alive."

OBSERVATION:

Sometimes in our lives 


We all have pain 


We all have sorrow 


But if we are wise 


We know that there's always tomorrow 



Lean on me, when you're not strong 


And I'll be your friend 


I'll help you carry on 


For it won't be long 


'Til I'm gonna need 


Somebody to lean on

It is a pure and simple fact – we need someone to lean on; someone we can trust; someone who will always be there no matter what; someone we can count on; someone who will hear us out with judgment, but with grace; someone who believes in us; someone who will tell us the truth; someone to help pick up the pieces.

Naturally we turn to others to be that “someone” and it is a tremendous as well as rare gift to discover the real live human being who can and will fit the requirements to be the “someone” in our life.

But God is always there. Often turned to as the last resort as in “when all else fails” kind of stopgap measure for living out our days. We are like the little child who was being tucked in at night asked his daddy to stay with him. The dad said, “God will be here with you. You will be okay.” The child responded with: “Yes, I know that, but I really would like someone with flesh on.”

God is always there for us, but we a lot of times we need someone with flesh... a warm body with ears and eyes … and often a shoulder. God has given us each other for that very reason. The one requirement for us to meet those expectations is to get out of ourselves and make ourselves available to the “others” of our world. It is risky, but oh, so necessary.

PRAYER:

We know God that we can lean on you. We know that you are always there for us. We do ask that you populate our lives with people that are willing to be a leaning post for our hearts and souls. And, even a bigger request, help us to be the leaning post for others.