Fresh Bread from a Real Baker

S

(Isaiah 10:20) In that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more lean on him who struck them, but will lean on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

O

Biblically, a primary life-issue is deciding where we lean for support. People put their trust in their personal confidants (2 Kings 7:2, 17). Nations and rulers place their hopes in other nations and rulers (Isaiah 31:1). Saul tried to lean on the point of his spear in hope of escaping his fears (2 Samuel 1:6). We were created to be dependent on others, but as Isaiah said, survivors of difficulties learn that anything we lean on--except the Lord--will eventually "strike us." It's a dark outlook, except for the few who learn to live in community while leaning on the Lord for truth.

A (Personal)

How do I live in healthy community with broken people? How do I exclusively and safely trust the Lord? Jeremiah answered that and he was quoted in Hebrews 8:10-12: (1) covenant with God on His terms, (2) let God put His laws in my mind and heart, (3) identify myself as God's, (4) teach others to lean on Him above all others and to know Him, and (5) abandon my sins to God's "box" of all that He's forgiven.

A (Psychological)

Nancy Clark, a PNW counselor who's helped many people abandon unhealthy and distorted views of family life, created a clever metaphor about people who repeatedly trust seriously broken people. Many of her clients and students had insisted on remaining in abusive relationships with alcoholic or violent men, hoping that they would be able to change them or that they would "really keep their promises this time." She equated that to going to Radio Shack over and over and insisting on buying fresh bread from them--but in truth, it's simply not available there, it never will be. One of the hardest and least successful works of psychology is helping people abandon self-destructive ideas and behaviors.

P

Lord, I want to be one of the survivors, one of the remnant who leans on You in truth. I covenant myself to trust You with all my heart, to not lean on my own understanding, to acknowledge You in all my ways, and to let You make my paths straight, even if You see that I need serious reproof along with Your comforts and guidance (Proverbs 3:5, 6, 11, 12).