06
Lean On Me
Jon Burgess“ Then all who live in Egypt will know that I am the Lord.‘You have been a staff of reed for the people of Israel. 7When they grasped you with their hands, you splintered and you tore open their shoulders; when they leaned on you, you broke and their backs were wrenched." Ezekiel 29:6
One of the reasons, among the many, that Egypt was coming under judgment from God was how they treated God's people when they needed help. Instead of being someone they could lean on when they were hurting they hurt them all the more. Egypt took advantage of Israel's weakened state and kicked them while they were down. It's interesting that God doesn't judge Israel for leaning on Egypt, but rather Egypt for leading them to think that they would help and instead causing them more pain. It reveals that God expects all to help out their fellow man whether pagan or not. It reveals God takes it personally when we take advantage of those in need or hurt the hurting. God expresses His heart this way in Isaiah 42:3: He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged.
The Church holds itself up as a place where broken people can come and find wholeness, where hurt people can come and find healing. Is the Church any better then Egypt if do nothing to help those in need? Aren't we making matters worse through false advertising? When we judge those who have fallen in sin instead of helping them to be free aren't we that splintered staff doing more harm than good? The Book of James 2:14-17 puts it this way: "14What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.18But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds." Over this past month I have seen our New Hope Ohana putting their faith into action through the various trials that have come our way. They rallied around Pastor Wayne when he found out he had prostate cancer with hundreds of prayers and cards. That weekend it was announced hundreds came forward to find someone to lean on for their places of healing and they found Christ their healer! They rallied around our community in preparation for the oncoming hurricane Lane which God tore in half. As we leaned on God and allowed others to lean on us God did the heavy lifting. Most recently our family has suffered the loss of one of our hanai sons in a horrific car accident and we have been readily and steadily leaning on the prayers and encouragements of our Ohana around to get us through. This is what The Church does. This is who The Church is.
This weekend we celebrate 23 years of Your faithfulness to New Hope Oahu and through New Hope to the world around us. May we continue to be a safe place where the broken, hurting, helpless, and hopeless can come and find rest and refreshing and healing through Jesus Christ. No matter what we do in the future we lean on You Lord so others can lean on us.
Share each other's burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2
