Women are incited to be independent today. They don’t need a man. They don’t need God. They can run their own lives.
But independence is an ugly thing. It was the spirit of independence that drove Satan out from the glory of God in heaven. He didn’t want to submit to God. He wanted to be his own God. Isaiah 14:13-15 tells us his attitude: “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God . . . I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.”
In the Song of Solomon, we see a picture of the bride of Christ, the church of the living God. It also speaks to us as wives. She goes into the wilderness full of confidence and independence, but how does she come out? Song 8:5 says: “Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?” She has now learned that her greatest blessing and power is to lean upon her Beloved.
We all have to learn this lesson, don’t we? When we first come into marriage, we are head over heels in love, but we still have a lot of self-will to deal with. When we first embark upon motherhood, we find we still have so much selfishness in our lives.
God has lots of tempering to do, but He gently works in our hearts by His Holy Spirit. He slowly deals with our pride and independence. As we face the challenges of motherhood from babyhood right through to their becoming young men and women, we find we have no wisdom of our own. We are cast upon God. Unless we lean on Him for His wisdom, His strength, and His guidance we make a mess of everything.
We learn that we cannot lean on worldly wisdom. We cannot lean on man. Isaiah 36:6 says: “Lo, thou trusteth the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt (Egypt speaks of the flesh and the world); whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it.” But no matter how hard we lean on God, He will not fail us. He will always hold us up. We gradually learn that we can trust Him completely. He is bigger than every challenge we face. He is our Rock.
Let’s learn to be learners, dear mothers. “Dear Father, I lean on You today. I ask for Your wisdom. I rely on Your strength. I thank You that I can trust my whole life with You. Amen.”
The old hymn we love to sing encourages us to lean on the everlasting arms:
What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.
Deuteronomy 33:27 promises us: “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” His arms will never let us fall.
Will you lean upon Him today?
Love from Nancy Campbell