February 8, 2006

 

And there was war again; and David went out and fought with the Philistines, and struck them with a mighty blow, and they flew from him. Now the distressing spirit from the Lord came upon Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing music with his hand. And then Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away from Saul’s presence; and he drove the spear into the wall. So David fled and escaped that night. --1 Samuel 19:8-10

 

You and I both have our own self-styled crutches that help us stand. For some it’s a bank account, insurance policy, career, or pastime. Others learn to lean on their reputation, appearance, and talents. And there are some who lean solely on their friends, their husband or wife, or their children. Some things are good to lean upon, but the only thing that is stable and sure in this life is our relationship with Jesus Christ.

 

David was a trusted officer in King Saul’s army, but God took his position and reputation away from Him. In order to survive Saul’s wrath, David fled the kingdom and his favored position and went to his second crutch — his wife (and Saul’s daughter). And God removed her from his life as well (see 1 Samuel 19:11-17). Finally, David ran to his third crutch and spiritual mentor, Samuel, but God took away his safety in Samuel’s house as well forcing him to flee. David finally had to turn to God for strength, safety, and stability.

 

Have you been there? Have you lost your emotional and spiritual strength and stability? Maybe you’re wondering what God is doing in your life. You’ve tried to be faithful, you’ve read your Bible, you’ve been praying, and you’ve been serving the Lord, but it seems that all the things you’ve counted on before are no longer providing the comfort you need.

 

In order for us to become men and women of God, He must bring us to a place of total, absolute dependence upon Him — and nothing else. He must be the only thing we lean on completely for support. When He begins to remove the crutches, one-by-one, and rebuilds our lives upon Him it can sometimes be an extremely painful process. But rest assured the God is working to bring you to a place in your life where you will completely rest and lean on Him.

 

THE ONLY THING THAT IS SURE IN THIS LIFE IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST. ALL OTHER CRUTCHES ARE TEMPORARY AND WILL VANISH.