Encouragement

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0ne of my favorite Scriptures is Proverbs 3:5-6:
"Trust in the Lord with all of your heart.....
lean not unto your own understanding....
in all your ways, acknowledge Him....
and He will direct your path!"

One of the songs that La Moyne sings on our CD is 'Learning to Lean'.
About a year before her Dad's death, he began losing his eyesight.
One day he asked La Moyne if she knew the song, 'Learning to Lean'
which at that time she did not. Jim told her that he had heard it...
and that it had become his theme song.
Needless to say, she was determined to learn it after that!

I'm learning to lean, learning to lean,
I'm learning to lean on Jesus.
Finding more power than I'd ever dreamed,
I'm learning to lean on Jesus.

The joy I can't explain, fills my soul
Since the day I made Jesus my King.
His blessed Holy Spirit is leading my way
He is teaching and I'm learning to lean.

There's glorious victory each day now for me
I found His peace so serene.
He helps me with each task, if only I will ask
Every day now, I'm learning to lean.
Chorus:
Leaning to lean, learning to lean,
I'm learning to lean on Jesus.
Finding more power than I'd ever dreamed,
I'm learning to lean on Jesus.
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A pastor once prayed, "Lord, prop me up on my leaning side."
All of us have areas in our lives where we need 'propping up'.
Name your 'leaning side' and 'what' and 'why' and take it to the 'WHO' of life!

This is such a mechanized world with lots of 'gadgets'.
Just about the time you buy one, a better comes on the market the next week....
and/or one to even replace the old one!

A.W. Tozer wrote many years ago, "The greatest danger we face from the 'machine age' is that we will become so engrossed with mechanized gadgets and forget that we have a heart!"

People can not live by 'machinery alone'. Maybe 'existing', but not really living!
Man's quest is to 'be happy', but Jesus used the word 'Blessed'...
whereby we take all God gives......and give all that God asks.

The true Christian ideal is not to be 'happy'.....but to be 'Holy'!!
'Holy' is a position we take by repentance and faith.
Then it becomes 'process and progress' where we become more and more like Jesus!
Thus the Christian life is to pursue God, to know God and to be like God
(not in His 'Omni-attributes' but in His moral character!)

Easter morning, we rec'd an e-mail from our good friends, Stu and Debi Tully in Oklahoma City.
Their 4 month old gr'daughter (Ellie Kate McLaughlin) was born with serious complications and during these months, has been near death many times.
Stu always shares Scriptures, but especially those dealing with the Loving Kindness of God. God through MANY prayers is sustaining them, their daughter, her husband and their young son, Conner....along with His Promises, Peace and Presence.

Truly God is propping them up on their 'leaning side'.
Also helping that family, is what Stu refers to as 'gentle hug ministers' from people all over the world.

A sub-title for this paper could be:
"The Cords that Bind" and keep us 'Leaning on God'.
We sometimes think of 'in a bind' (or 'bound up') as bad.
However as Christians, there can be many joys and blessings for us...
if we realize that the 'cords' can also bind us to God.

Let us look at God's part.....and our part!
GOD'S PART:
1) "My Grace is sufficient for you" (II. Cor. 12:9a)

2) "My Strength is made perfect in your weakness" (vs. 9:b)
"God is my salvation, strength and song." (Isaiah 12:2)

3) "My Presence shall go with you" (Exodus 33:14)
God fulfilled these words all the way to the Promised Land.

4) "My Peace I give unto you, not like the world gives,
so do not be troubled in your heart." (John 14:27 and John 16:33)

5) "My Joy is in you and can be full" (John 15:11)

6) "I come quickly and my reward is with me" (Rev. 22:12)
CONGRATULATIONS! GOD BELIEVES IN YOU!

OUR PART:
1) My REDEEMER (Job 19:25)
We are saved by Him and we need to share Him with others,
for everyone needs a Redeemer!

2) MY SHEPHERD (John 10 and Psalms 23)
Follow Him for He is the Shepherd Who will never leave you!!

3) MY HELPER (Hebrews 13:5-6)
We can boldly say, 'The Lord is my helper!'
In John 16:7-16, the Holy Spirit is called 'our helper'.

4) MY BELOVED IS MINE (Song of Solomon:3:16)
I am His....and He is mine.....and Love is the Theme of Life.

5) MY LORD (Philippians 3:8)
All authority is His.....and obedience is ours!

6) MY GOD (Philippians 4:19)
All sufficiency is available for the past, present, future and Eternity.

7) MY HEART (Psalms 139:23-24)
Give Him all of your heart (and life) in total commitment to His Will.

MY LORD.......MY GOD......MY HEART
His part is LOVE....our part should be FAITH and PRAYER!

CONCLUSION:
There will be times when our faith is weak and we wonder about Prayer.
Here are 4 pillars on which the Christian Faith stands...and if we believe in them...
we too, will stand strong...and 'lean' more and more on these 4 pillars of God.

1) GOD'S JUSTICE AND HOLINESS WHICH WILL NOT ALLOW HIM TO DECEIVE.
2) GOD'S GRACE AND GOODNESS WHICH WILL NOT ALLOW HIM TO FORGET US.
3) GOD'S TRUTH WHICH WILL NOT ALLOW HIM TO CHANGE.

ALL OF THESE MAKE HIM ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH ALL THINGS!

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