The Church Leaning On Her Beloved Part 3

It is somewhat ironic that on the occasion of celebrating our nation's independence, the sermon subject would be dependence! We Americans pride ourselves on our “sturdy self-reliance” and our “rugged individualism.” These traits are not virtues in the spiritual realm. Even the wisest among our country's founding fathers were unashamed in their admission of “reliance upon Providence.” Benjamin Franklin is famous for saying at a critical juncture of the Constitutional Convention in 1787 “If a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without [God's] notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?”
Surely the Shulamite spouse is our example in that we should “lean” on Christ. We are pilgrims passing through the “wilderness” of this world, and we must depend upon Jesus every step of the way. A closer examination of the text and context will reveal several compelling reasons for so doing.