Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
While traveling on the streets of Jackson I seen an old house with something unusual activities happening around it. The house was near dilapidated probably from being in existence for some time.
Being as curious, ok being nosy, I decided to stop because it grabbed my attention. I looked inside and I notice that the paint was all but completely worn off of the walls. Grass and weeds had grown up all around it. But the thing that stood out to me was the props that stood against the house.
This house was about to fall over. It was leaning toward demolition. But somebody had the idea of propping the house up. But what I notice is that even though the house was worn and weather beating, although the house had some issues, this house had been through some trails and tribulation, I notice that the house was still standing. Those props and the support beams were there holding up this old house, keeping it from falling.
I didn’t think it would be safe to spend the night there, and I would not recommend anyone even step a foot inside.
But somebody had the mind to place some support up believing and hoping that it would hold it up a little longer.
I was thinking that maybe the other sides of the house was in probably in good shape, but the fact is the other side of the house was just as bad. The other side had some issues and some problems that caused it to lean forward. To my surprise the house had props all around it to keep it sturdy.
And I know that sometimes we feel strong and secure in the Lord, knowing that we are built on a solid foundation; and it doesn’t matter what winds that might blow our way, we believe that with this solid foundation, we can stand against the storms.
But then over a period of time the storms that do come, and the winds that do blow, bring about some difficult times. The brightness seems to fade, and what happen is we begin to lean.
We don’t really intend to lean, we are sure that our foundation is secure, but when the storms come, when temptations comes against us from all directions, when the pressures of life begin to press against us, sometimes we will lean. And if we don’t do something about it, the storms of this life will cause us to fall.
But I have some good news this morning and that is when you have a foundation like God, we can know with a surety that that we are standing on a solid foundation. And when we find ourselves leaning, inclined, slanting and sloping, we have a God who will be our support beam, and He will prop us up on every leaning side so we don’t fall.
From looking at the Word of God we know that King David wasn’t always a strong and courageous. He didn’t always stand tall and robust and strong. When temptation knocked at his door, he found himself leaning. When trouble showed up in his vicinity, his locale, or in his life David began to lean. When adversity showed up he was leaning, when persecution made him drop his head David started leaning.
But the important thing that David knew to do is found in Psalm 57:1 when the bible says then also He cried out to God; “Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities has overpast.” David found himself with adversity coming from the four corners of the earth. In fact David shares his experiences, he said in psalm 37 and 25 “I was young and now I am old.” But I never seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread.
Now these are not the words of a novice. David is no newcomer. He is an experienced man. David has seen the fullness of life. He has tasted the bitter and the sweet. He has experienced both pleasures and pains. In fact, David can provide an expert testimony concerning the faithfulness of God. Through everything that he has faced, whether good or bad, God had never forsaken him.
The word Forsake in the Hebrew sense means to abandon, to leave in the lurch, to leave someone who is depending on you, and to leave someone alone with a problem.
David had many hardships while he was young, but God never forsook him: I mean David faced trouble and enemies from every side. Let me prove it to you.
In 1st Sam. 16:10-12 His father overlooked him. When Samuel asked for the sons of Jesse to pass by before him to select a king, Jesse never even gave thought to the youngest boy, David. He was a non-person in the eyes of his father.
His brother hated him. In 1st Samuel 17:28-29 it says “Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger was aroused against David and he said why did you come down here? And who have you left those few sheep in the wilderness with? His own brother hated him because favor was on his life. And saints people will hate you when the favor of God is on your life. They will do whatever they can to tear you down.
David had some leaning side that he was dealing with, David, was attacked by a lion, and a bear
1st Sam. 17:34-35 tells us that a lion and a bear came and took a sheep from the flock, and he went after it, and he said that when it turned on me, I grabbed it by its hair, and hit it, and killed it.
He had some leaning sides, you remember when Saul tried to kill him. Twice Saul threw javelins at him and chased him in the wilderness with his armies. For years he was on the run for his life. He had some leaning sides.
His wife turned her back on him.
David married another man.
He was betrayed by the city he’d saved.
His family was taken and kidnapped by raiders.
David had an affair with Bathsheba, and had her husband Uriah murder.
But through it all God held him up on every leaning side.
Some days I feel like a Jr David, and when I’m going through my tough days, I say Lord, I’m leaning, but please let me lean on you. Hold me up Lord while I am going through, don’t let me lean until I fall.
That’s why I love to sing that old hymn of the church that says: What a fellowship, what a joy divine, leaning on the everlasting arms. What a blessedness, what a peace is mind, Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Somebody in the background would say, oh yes I’m Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms.
The second verse would say Oh how sweet to walk in the pilgrim's way, leaning on the everlasting arms, Oh, how bright the path that grows from day to day, I’m leaning on the everlasting arm. David was living in some times that were wearing on him that cause him to lean.
We are living in troublesome times. We are living in perilous times.
Many are predicting that we are seeing only the beginning of trouble times, and somebody may ask the question what are we going to do.
Where are we going to go? And who, or what will we lean on?
Somebody my say oh, Pastor Spies, I don’t need anything to lean on.
But baby, you better find something to lean on, because when trouble comes and all you have depended upon is gone, you will fall, and you will fail. I came to tell you all that when the enemy comes in like a flood you better know how to lean on Jesus.
When disappointments come in, lean on Jesus.
When temptation comes, lean on Jesus.
When your faith begins to waver we need to lean on the Lord.
So with all of these adversaries that were coming against David, yet he knew that he had a leaning post that he could depend on. So he picked up his pen and began Psalm 37 which said.
Psalm 37:1-40 (KJV)
1 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. 6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
But what you have to do is. 8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. 9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.
10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. 11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
12 The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. But don’t worry about because 13 The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.
But their on sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
16 for the little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.
18 The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be forever.
19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away. I’m going to lean on the Lord.
21 The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.
22 For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.
23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. I’m going to lean on the Lord.
24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.
25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
26 He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.
27 Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.
28 For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. 29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein forever. 30 The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.
31 The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.
32 The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.
33 The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.
34 Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.
35 I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.
36 Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.
37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. 38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.
39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble. 40 And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.
So I’m asking the Lord to please prop me up whenever I’m leaning, Lord prop me up whenever the devil is trying to knock me down.
Lord, hold my hand while I’m trying to run this race, because I don’t want to run this race in vain.
