LEANING on the Lord (Song of Songs 8:5)

I want to share with you yesterday's devotional from Streams in the Desert. It's based on one of my life verses and is such a beautiful reminder of what it means to lean on the Lord:

Who is this coming up from the desert leaning on her lover? - Song of Songs 8:5

"I once learned a great lesson at a prayer meeting at a southern church. As one man prayed, he asked the Lord for various blessings, just as you or i would, and he thanked the Lord for many blessings already received, just as you or i would. But he closed his prayer with this unusual petition: "And, O Lord, support us! Yes, support us on every leaning side!"
Do you have any "leaning sides"? This humble man's prayer pictured them in a new way and illustrated the Great Supporter in a new light, as well. He saw God as always walking alongside the Christian, ready to extend His mighty arm to steady the weak on "every leaning side".

Child of My love, lean hard,
And let Me feel the pressure of your care;
I know your burden, child. I shaped it;
Balanced it in Mine Own hand; made no proportion
In its weight to your unaided strength,
For even as I laid it on, I said,
"I will be near, and while she leans on Me,
this burden will be Mine, not hers;
So will i keep My child within the circling arms
Of my Own love." Here lay it down, nor fear
To impose it on a shoulder that upholds
The government of worlds. Yet closer come:
You are not near enough. I would embrace your care;
So i might feel My child reclining on My breast.
You love Me, I know. So then do not doubt;
But loving Me, lean hard.
-Streams in the Desert (September 12), L.B. Cowman

Beautiful image and devotion, yes? The Lord has crafted our burdens, He has allowed certain things to enter into our lives, SO THAT we may LEAN on Him. These hard times? These joys, these celebrations, these times of weakness and sorrow? They are all meant to bring us closer to the Lord. May we learn to truly, TRULY LEAN on Him. We were not meant to take on the world and our burdens on our own - He never planned it to be this way.

The first time this verse really sunk in, really become a life verse for me, was just under a year ago. I was bruised and hurting, I felt the darkness consuming me. And this sweet, sweet verse from Song of Songs, spoke wonders to me. I came across it in a book, an allegory of the Song of Songs (Hinds' Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard...check it out, seriously). And after spending time just meditating on it, i got this image of myself: beat up, limping, tear streaked and dirty cheeks, blisters on my feet, so weary and worn from the journey, being supported and held by Jesus, as He carefully walked beside me and led me and allowed me to lean on Him. Mmm, this vision still brings tears to my eyes. Life is a journey. We will have seasons of life where we are bruised up and limping and can do nothing but lean on the Lord. There are also times where the season is fruitful and beautiful and joyful, and we forget our desperate need to lean on Him.

So, where are you? Do you acknowledge your need to lean on the Lord? Do you realize our desperate need for Him to be by our side? Do you long for Him to pick you up, for fear that you have fallen and can't pick yourself up? No matter where you are, this truth is real: We need to lean on the Lord. Through any and all things. We need to depend on Him, admit our need for Him, and allow Him to carry our burdens and carry us through.