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July 13           Today’s Reading: Song of Solomon 5 - Isaiah 1

“Leaning upon Her Beloved”

Song of Solomon 8:5

 

This is a picture of the church universal and of every believing soul. We are coming up out of the dark wilderness of this world, leaning upon Christ, the Beloved One of our hearts. While faith in Christ has nothing whatsoever to do with physical acts, physical posture, or physical movement, faith is described symbolically in Holy Scripture by many actions of the body.

 

Looking

Faith is looking to Christ and seeing him. He says, “Behold me, behold me...Look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the earth, for I am God and there is none else.” Our Lord declares, “This is the will of him that sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son, and believeth on him may have everlasting life.” Saving faith is looking to Christ alone for salvation, just like the perishing Israelites looked to the brazen serpent and were healed.

 

Coming

Faith is coming to Christ. — “He that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” — “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” — “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out.” Saving faith is coming to Christ, acknowledging him as Lord and trusting him as Savior. We come to you, our Savior, for pardon, for righteousness, for redemption, for life, and for acceptance with God. We have come to him. We are coming to him. And we shall come to him.

 

Fleeing

Faith is fleeing to Christ. We “have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us.” Christ “the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it and is safe.” Realizing that we were by nature children of wrath even as others, and knowing that the Lord Jesus Christ is God’s only appointed place of refuge for guilty sinners, we have fled, and ever flee to him! We venture our souls upon him, upon the merits of his blood and righteousness. We cast ourselves into his arms of power and grace, trusting Christ alone to save us. Saving faith is fleeing to Christ in hope of mercy.

 

Laying Hold

Faith is laying hold of Christ. Like a drowning man lays hold of the line thrown to him, we lay hold of Christ and cling to him.

 

Receiving

Faith is receiving Christ. — “As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” It is not receiving Christ into the head that brings salvation, but receiving him into the heart. It is not receiving the doctrine of Christ that saves us, but receiving Christ himself. True faith receives the whole Christ, as he is revealed in Holy Scripture. We receive him in all of his offices: Prophet, Priest, and King. We receive Christ as our only acceptance with God. We receive him in preference to all others. And…

 

Leaning

Faith is leaning upon Christ. This is a richer, fuller, more intimate description of faith than we have seen before. When the believing soul is described as “leaning upon her Beloved,” faith is set forth as a loving, admiring, adoring confidence in Christ. Like a timid, frightened woman, passing through some strange and dangerous forest at night, would lean upon the strong arm of her faithful husband, the believer leans upon his beloved Redeemer. We lean upon Christ, because he has proven his love and faithfulness to us. We lean upon him, because he is mighty, able to save us and to preserve us from all harm. We lean upon him, because we are utterly helpless in ourselves.

      Faith leans upon the Person of Christ for acceptance with God. Faith leans upon the righteousness of Christ for justification. Faith leans upon the blood of Christ for pardon and cleansing. We lean upon the fulness of Christ to supply all our needs. Every act of faith is, in its essence, just leaning upon Christ. In prayer, in worship, in praise, in service, we are simply leaning on our Beloved. All our hope before God, at all times and for all things, is the Lord Jesus Christ; so we lean upon him. Oh, may we evermore learn to lean heavily upon the Son of God. Go ahead, lean upon him. He can bear the weight.

 

Every hour of every day,

And every moment and in every way,

I’m leaning on Jesus, He’s the rock of my soul;

I’m singing His praises wherever I go.

 


 

 

 

Don Fortner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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