Learning to Lean!

Matthew 8:24-And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. NKJV

God is so amazing, and I am grateful to be a part of His kingdom. After decades of serving Him, I have found that I can lean on Him because He never leaves me nor does He forsake me. This morning, I was reminded of a song we sang when I was much younger, “Learning to Lean on Jesus!” For those of you who are unfamiliar with the song, here are the words to the chorus:

Learning to lean, learning to lean, I’m learning to lean on Jesus. Finding more power than I’ve ever dreamed, I’m learning to lean on Jesus.

Learning to Lean on Jesus Lyrics, Pastor John Stallings, 1977

One day, with all of the wisdom of a teenager, I thought, “When will we be able to sing “I’ve learned to lean on Jesus instead of I’m learning to lean on Jesus?” Well, today I would like to talk to my younger self and invite you along for the conversation.

Jesus has a way of making Himself known to us. Peter’s life was forever changed after He met Jesus. He and his partners had been out fishing all night. As they were cleaning their nets from an unfruitful fishing trip, Jesus walked up and asked to use Peter’s boat to preach from. We aren’t told why Peter allows Jesus to do this, just that he does. After He finished teaching He said:

 “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

Luke 5:4 NKJV

Peter told Jesus that he had already gone fishing and had caught nothing. But at His word, he would go back out. I believe that Peter listened to the words that Jesus spoke that morning and was captivated by Him and the way He taught. So, at His word, Peter responded and caught so many fish that the boat began to sink.

It seems that when we first meet Jesus, our prayers are easily answered, so we think we have some special gift of praying, or that we are special. But what is more likely, is that Jesus is teaching us to trust Him. So in the beginning, it’s easy to lean on Him. Also, Peter didn’t have much to lose at this level of faith, so if nothing happened, he had already had a fruitless night.

As we spend time with Jesus, the challenges and difficulties of life may increase, and we may begin to feel that He doesn’t care. Such was the case with Peter and the other disciples:

And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”

Matthew 8:24-25 NKJV

Jesus was with the disciples, but He was asleep. The waters were calm, and suddenly, the disciples were in a great storm. Have you ever been there? One minute, it is well with your soul, and the next minute, the storm is raging. Peter and the disciples had enough sense to recognize that the storm they were experiencing required Jesus, but He was sleeping! Peacefully! But the disciples were freaking out. They went to Jesus and woke Him up, telling Him they were perishing. In another account of this event, the author wrote that the disciples asked Jesus if He cared that they were perishing!

But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

Matthew 8:24 NKJV

Don’t judge the disciples because they were still learning to lean on Jesus! They found during the storm, He was able to bring peace! He may have been sleeping, but they woke Him and He calmed the sea! If we are honest, we probably think that sometimes Jesus is asleep as we are experiencing our personal storms. However, He isn’t sleep, He’s teaching you to trust Him, to lean on Him! The more we realize that He is faithful, the more we can trust His faithfulness!

And yet, another storm arose!

And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.

Matthew 14:23-24 NKJV

That’s the thing about both natural and spiritual storms! You may survive your current storm, but another one will come along if you live long enough! Such was the case with the disciples! As a matter of fact, several of these disciples were fishermen and made their living on the water. It’s surprising that now they are so fearful of the storms. As people, we are not strangers to storms, but for some reason, as Christians, we think the storms of life should not come our way. But God said it rains on the just and the unjust! We just have greater protection from the storm!

The disciples were in the boat when the storm came. This was the major form of transportation, besides walking, so there was no getting around being on the water. Yet, they are faced with another storm while on the water. Only this time it is worse than before! Jesus is not around! He’s not on the boat, He’s not sleeping in the boat, He’s not even around, and they are being tossed by the waves.

Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 

Matthew 14:25 NKJV

The very thing that had the disciples in an uproar, Jesus was walking on! No one had ever walked on water before, but Jesus was walking on water amid a storm that was tossing the boat around. And He was perfectly calm about the situation. Can you visualize high waves, strong winds, a vessel being tossed around like a toy, and then the Savior walking out on the water as if it is the most natural thing to do, and the sun is shining bright? That’s the picture here!

Faith in God means to trust Him no matter what is going on around us! In the first example, Jesus gave Peter a word that was easy to understand and easy to perform, so at His word, Peter trusted Him. Then, Jesus was near the disciples, asleep in the boat, when the storm came, and they had easy access to Him, so they ran to Him for help. In the last example, Jesus was nowhere to be found, and yet He arrived on the scene, completely in control, and brought deliverance to them.

Where are you in the storm? Where do you believe Jesus is during this storm? I can answer that last question, He is right there with you! So, what would I tell my younger self about learning to lean on Jesus, I would say, you’ll be learning to lean on Him all of your days, just not in the same way. Trials and tribulations come in different degrees and in every area of life. You may have learned to lean on Him for your finances, but you may have to learn to lean on Him for your health. And that’s okay because He is there to instruct us no matter where we are in our journey of faith, and we’ll be able to sing that wonderful course with conviction, “finding more power than I’ve ever dreamed, I’m learning to lean on Jesus”! Wonderful Jesus!