seek meekness ~ Zephaniah 2:3 | “Lord, give me humility, or I perish”

Zephaniah 2:3  Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger.

From Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary:

“They must seek meekness. This is a grace they were so eminent for that they were denominated the meek of the land, and yet this they must seek. Note, Those that are ever so good must still strive to be better, those that have ever so much grace must be still praying and labouring for more. Nay, those that excel in any particular grace must still seek to excel yet more in that, because in that most assaults will be made upon them by their enemies, in that most is expected from them by their friends, and in that they are most apt to be themselves secure. Si dixisti, Sufficit, periisti—Say but, I am all that I ought to be, and you are undone. In the difficult trying times approaching, the meek will find exercise for all the meekness they have, and all little enough, and therefore should seek it earnestly, and pray that when God in his providence gives them occasion for it he would by his grace enable them to exercise it, to show all meekness to all men, in all instances, that, as the day is, so may the strength be.”

O, for grace to continue to seek meekness, which is found only in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. My flesh continues to be puffed up and proud, lusting against the Spirit, and seeking to take the best and first place. As my days are, so shall my strength be through Jesus Christ. Apart from Him, I am nothing, and I can do nothing. May God’s Holy Spirit continue and complete His sanctifying work He has begun in me so I might be transformed into Christ’s image, becoming a weaned child (Psalm 131) who is meek and humble in heart like the Lord Jesus (Matthew 11:25-30), offering myself to follow and to dwell wherever the Lamb goes, so I might be a willing and obedient servant of the LORD who takes up the basin and towel and gladly takes the lowest place. There is neither peace, nor rest, nor life, nor joy nor blessing anywhere except as I take up the easy yoke and light burden of Christ.



Philippians 2:4  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Matthew 11:25  At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. 26  Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. 27  All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

28  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

“Lord, give me humility, or I perish.”

~ George Whitefield in “George Whitefield’s Journals,” Tuesday, July 17, 1739, 305)

 

Forth in Thy Name
(Charles Wesley, 1749)

Forth in thy Name, O Lord, I go,
my daily labor to pursue;
thee, only thee, resolved to know
in all I think or speak or do.

The task thy wisdom hath assigned,
O let me cheerfully fulfill;
in all my works thy presence find,
and prove thy good and perfect will.

Thee may I set at my right hand,
whose eyes mine inmost substance see,
and labor on at thy command,
and offer all my works to thee.

Give me to bear thy easy yoke,
and every moment watch and pray,
and still to things eternal look,
and hasten to thy glorious day.

For thee delightfully employ
whate’er thy bounteous grace hath given;
and run my course with even joy,
and closely walk with thee to heav’n.

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Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

The man who feels unworthy…

“The man who feels unworthy will be kept open and receptive towards the fountain.” – J.H. Jowett

Ministry’s temptations ~ Take heed . . . do not be solicitous what place should be prepared for you

Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. – Acts 20:28

From Richard Baxter’s “The Reformed Pastor,” Chapter 1, “The Oversight of Ourselves,” Section 2, The Motives to This Oversight (emphasis, mine):

3. Take heed to yourselves, because the tempter will more ply you with his temptations than other men. If you will be the leaders against the prince of darkness, he will spare you no further than God restraineth him. He beareth the greatest malice to those that are engaged to do him the greatest mischief. As he hateth Christ more than any of us, because he is the General of the field, the Captain of our salvation, and doth more than all the world besides against his kingdom; so doth he hate the leaders under him, more than the common soldiers: he knows what a rout he may make among them, if the leaders fall before their eyes. He hath long tried that way of fighting, neither against great nor small comparatively, but of smiting the shepherds, that he may scatter the flock: and so great hath been his success this way, that he will continue to follow it as far as he is able. Take heed, therefore, brethren, for the enemy hath a special eye upon you. You shall have his most subtle insinuations, and incessant solicitations, and violent assaults…8. Lastly, Take heed to yourselves, for the success of all your labors doth very much depend upon this. God useth to fit men for great works, BEFORE he employs them as his instruments in accomplishing them.

From “George Whitefield’s Journals,” Section IV “On My Preparation for Holy Orders,” p. 65 (emphasis, mine):

From the time I first entered at the University, especially from the time I knew what was true and undefiled Christianity, I entertained high thoughts of the importance of the ministerial office, and was not solicitous what place should be prepared for ME, but how I SHOULD BE PREPARED for a place.

O Lord my God,

You have searched me and shown me how I have been solicitous that a place be prepared for me for my glory rather than my being prepared for a place for Your glory! I confess I have been more concerned about the work I might do for You rather than Your work in me. Forgive my sin and cleanse me from all unrighteousness for Jesus’ sake. Turn my gaze from self to You. Turn my heart away from vainglory so I might seek Your glory. Purify my heart so I might not be solicitous a place be prepared for me, but rather that Your preparations be done in my heart for You. Send Your Holy Spirit to fill me, fit me and prepare me so I might be sent to prepare Your way and in doing so bring glory to Christ alone for He alone is worthy. I am but an unprofitable servant. May I take heed and not shrink back from Your vital work of fitting and preparation that must be done in me before You might employ me as Your instrument. To You alone be all the praise, honor and glory. Amen.

Psalm 116 (KJV)
16  O LORD, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your maidservant.
You have loosed my bonds.
17  I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving
and call on the name of the LORD.
18  I will pay my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all his people,
19  in the courts of the house of the LORD,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the LORD!

From “May the Mind of Christ, My Savior”
by Kate B. Wilkinson

May the mind of Christ, my Savior,
Live in me from day to day,
By His love and power controlling
All I do and say.

May the love of Jesus fill me
As the waters fill the sea;
Him exalting, self abasing,
This is victory.

May His beauty rest upon me,
As I seek the lost to win,
And may they forget the channel,
Seeing only Him.

Oh that we may be in any way instrumental to His glory! That He would make us vessels pure and holy, meet for our Master’s use!

– George Whitefield’s Journals, Friday, January 5, 1739, p. 196

 

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Related: “your heart is not right in the sight of God” – May I not waste God’s loving discipline”