2:24 – Jesus Is My Crutch

#faithbites #faithjourney Crutch

One of the things that knee surgery helps you appreciate is walking under your own power without assistance. For the past six days, I have been using crutches to get around the house. In the past two days, I have tried to put more weight on one crutch to try to ween me off of them. Let’s just say, I’m not there yet.

Many times, a crutch is seen as something you hid behind or use because things are bad. Drinking is a crutch, addiction, politics, even religion can be seen as a crutch. You can’t change because of the drinks. Maybe you try to use your religion as a crutch in the negative way as well.

This all got me to think that Jesus is my crutch as I’m ok with that. In the positive light, a crutch helps you move around. It steadies your walk, provides a foundation for movement, and makes you able to do daily tasks you couldn’t before. If this definition doesn’t fit Jesus, then I don’t know what does.

Scripture

• And they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their Redeemer. – Psalm 78:35
• Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding – Proverbs 3:5
• Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? – Jeremiah 17:5-9

Reflection

I am a strong person and like to do things myself. Heck, I was trying to clean on crutches but that didn’t work so well. But in my life, I have been bashed against the rocks, forgotten, heard, and abused. I have also done my share of hurting others as well. But with Jesus, I am forgiven. In the Psalm we the need to remember that God is our rock, our cornerstone. In Proverbs, we are told to lean on God as our crutch and not on our own knowledge. Finally, in Jeremiah, we learn there are two ways to live. We can be in the desert as a shrub. Slowly going day by day with little water and just eeking out life or with God, we can be planted by the river and be nourished all the days in our life. I don’t know about you, but I prefer the later.

While I want my leg to get strong and cast off these crutches, I am very happy to rely on Jesus to keep me moving forward and nourished.

Charge

When you hear crutch, do you think of it as a negative? Try to think about it as a positive. Have you committed your life to Christ. Not how you think you should live but how Christ says to live? If not, make today the day that you cast off the evil crutches of the world and lean on Christ as your rock.

Prayer

Heavenly Lord, give all of those in need, healing and care. Let their bodies recover so they can cast off assisted devices and use you as their only crutch and rock. In your heavenly name, Amen