To lean on God is to be interdependent with Him. It’s knowing that we can not depend on ourselves alone and that we are also a part of bringing heaven to earth, co-laboring with Christ.
However, we struggle to lean on God because our beliefs about God have hindered us from trusting God. Not to mention, God isn’t someone who is right in front of us. Someone physical that we can touch. Therefore, we struggle because how can someone care who isn’t physically here? And those that are physically here don’t really seem to care either. (At least that is what the enemy tries to convince us.)
How Do We Lean on God
Part of leaning on God will require trusting God. To lean on something means we know it’s strong enough to hold us up. We believe that it will not give out.
To trust God means we must know who He is and that He is faithful. Our pain is an easy disruptor in our ability to trust God and lean on God. We either believe God causes the pain in our lives, or we don’t understand His holiness and why there is pain here on this earth.
Either way, we want to blame God instead of turning to God for comfort or in difficult times.
We lean on God because He is a strong tower. Proverbs 18:10 says, “The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” Our souls are safe with God.
Psalm 3:3 says, “But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head.”
We lean on God by going to Him in times of stress and in our times of need. Our struggle is with believing He cares and is there more so than who He is.
Psalm 9:10 says, “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.”
Three Life Lessons to Learn to Lean on God from Psalms
1. The enemy will surround you, but the Lord with sustain you.
In Psalm 3, David is fleeing from his son. He writes in verse 6, “I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people.” David is writing, in Psalm 3, about the sustaining power of God even though He is surrounded (physically) by his enemies. To lean on God is to not always understand why the battle feels big or to come up with the right battle plan. Leaning on God is knowing Jesus is our Savior, and the righteous are heard when they call out to Him.
How do we practically live out leaning on God? Go to God and spend time alone before telling anyone else about what’s happening. We need to hear a word from God so that we can discern accordingly when we start to listen to words from people.
2. We don’t seek revenge because He is our Avenger.
In Psalm 4 verse 4, David writes, “Be angry and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.” David felt all the emotions. Emotions he kept taking to God and offering up to Him.
Sometimes we hinder our ability to lean on God because of our inability to forgive those who have hurt us. Forgiveness is not forgetting, but it’s releasing the debt and giving justice over to God. David was mocked for trusting in God. David also often questioned how long this would go on. Yet, David ends Psalm 4 verse 8 with, “For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”
How do we practically live out leaning on God to avenge us? Something that has always helped me is to take a look at the “plank in my eye before I try to acknowledge the logs in others.” (Matthew 7:15). When I consciously choose to understand or even acknowledge the pain in someone else, it allows me to show mercy like the Lord shows mercy to me.
*To learn more about forgiveness and walking through the process of forgiveness, go to my Spiritual Growth Framework coaching program.
3. Honesty is always important in healing.
One thing about the writers in Psalms is that they didn’t hold back from God. They knew God heard their prayers and could handle what they felt despite what was happening around them or in them.
They would quote the character of God. For example, David, in Psalm verse 4, says, “For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, nor shall evil dwell with You. The boastful shall not stand in your sight; You hate all worked of inquity.” To lean on God, we must know the character and nature of God.
How do we practically live out honesty with God? Get a journal. My life started to change when I started to journal on a consistent basis. It’s where I am honest with God about my feelings and what I am going through. Journaling is a safe place for me to write down my thoughts, dreams, and goals. Writing everything down helps to sort all those thoughts that feel so overwhelming.
I talk a lot about journaling in my book Face Off with Your Feelings to begin healing with God.
Learning to lean on God is a process and takes time. Trusting God takes us being intentional about pursuing His heart and love for us.
Don’t give up. He cares for you!
