October Pastor’s Chat
The only thing that brings comfort in an uncertain world is confidence in the certainty of a sovereign and loving God who is both merciful and just. Moses communicated this in his song in Deuteronomy 32, “He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He . . . and [He] will be merciful unto this land, and to his people.” To come under God’s mercy we must humble ourselves before Him as 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
From conversations with some of you, I have learned that this year has been a year of spiritual growth and humbling as you have been tried and tested in your commitment to follow Christ alone. May I encourage you not to grow weary in well doing and to continue to humble yourself before the Lord? The Lord wants to transform your life into a new image. He wants you to be like Christ! He wants the image of God to be renewed in you by the work of His Spirit. That image is manifested as the Spirit’s fruit in your life as love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance (Gal. 5:22-23).
When you fix your eyes on the Shepherd of your soul, the Lord Jesus Christ, and follow Him, He will lead you into true repentance and transformation. James 4:7-10 tells us how to do it, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”
With prayer, Pastor Mark
Verses on Humbling Ourselves
Deuteronomy 8:2 “And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.”
Deuteronomy 8:16 “Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;
2 Chronicles 34:27 “Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the LORD.
Psalm 10:17 “LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:”
Proverbs 16:19 “Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.”
Proverbs 29:23 “A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.”
Matthew 18:4 “Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
Mt 23:12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
I Peter 5:5-7 “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
Magnify! 