President Chat 2024 – no.5
Greetings CMA NSW/ACT members,
I trust that this communication finds you all well, and that you are all out on the road riding, sharing the road with our Lord and Saviour.
Below, is another article that I have found, that certainly relates and pertains to the current world that we are living in. I pray that the Holy Spirit will talk to you through the words, as you may be needing his encouragement, to draw closer to Him, and to totally put your trust in Him, at this time.
TRUSTING GOD
Whatever happens in 2024, we must always make God a priority. We must continually trust him every day. Spending a small time with God each morning, is an encouragement, but we then seem to put him aside, as we move into our day. If this is the case, then, how do we learn to trust him moment by moment?
Here are a few suggestions to assist us in our daily walk and trust in God.
• Live a life of desire towards God (Psalm 42:1 & 27:4). Our souls must thirst and pant for him, to behold his beauty and taste his goodness. There is nothing on earth or in heaven, that we should desire more than Christ – to know him better, to love him better, to be more like him and to conform to his will.
• We need to be continually praying for these desires, that the spirit will draw close to us and guide our every thought and action, through each and every day. 1 Thessalonians 5:17, tells us to pray without ceasing, for all the things that we will encounter every day.
• Live a life of delight in God (Psalm 37:4 and Isaiah 61:10). While we desire more of God’s presence in our lives, we can delight in him and be satisfied in him. We can delight in his salvation, his promises, his character, his creation, his covenant, while finding rest in him as we focus upon his beauty. Turning our thoughts to God, should be an antidote to any sorrow, worry or disappointments in our lives.
• Live a life of dependence on God (Psalm 62: 5-8). Waiting on God, means that we are looking to him to provide all good that comes to us, and for protection from all evil that threatens us. Guided and grounded in the promises that God’s word provides us, we can be humbly confident and assured in our faith placed in God.
• Live a life of devotedness to God, worshipping him day and night, ready, at any moment, to do the master’s will. This kind of devotedness, lays aside our own will. We strive to make his will, our will. Matthew Henry wrote –
It is the character of the redeemed of the Lord, that they follow the Lamb wherever he goes, with an implicit faith and obedience.
We must bear whatever afflictions that come our way, with a trusting spirit. Romans 8:28 tells us that “all things work together for good, to them that love the Lord and to those who are called, according to his purpose”. This verse we need to embrace with our whole being.
We must respond to tribulations in a Christian way, in a way that we always trust our heavenly Father, despite our troubles. When Job lost his 10 children, his vast wealth, and was covered in sores, he ignored his wife’s cursing of God, and declared in Job 2:10 “shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”. When we seem to be at our breaking point, this is when trust in God, yields the most precious fruit. It enables us to keep trusting, even in our most desperate situations. Job says in Ch. 13:15 “though he may slay me, yet will I trust in him”.
Let us not be too preoccupied with ourselves as we live in this world, but look outward to those around us, as all people in this world have been created by God, and are loved by him.
This is what CMA is all about – serving and trusting in God, and serving those around us.
CMA MATTERS
• The 2024 National Run in Tasmania, has come and gone. What a great time of fellowship with CMA members from all over Australia. Approx. 13 members “flew the flag” from NSW/ACT. We all got to see and appreciate the beauty of God’s creation, while on the rides there. A huge thank you to CMA Tasmania for producing a wonderful weekend, and to all NSW/ACT members who attended.
• Breakfast Torque and St Lukes bike show was represented by our CMA witness stand. A big thank you to those who manned the stands, shined shoes and provided our Lord’s love and witness to all in attendance.
• The Walcha bike rally is happening on the 15th & 16th November. This will be a great time of fellowship together for CMA members. If you would like more details, please contact our Vice President Dan, or go to the Walcha Rally web site.
• I will be sending out my annual Christmas letter in the next month or so, which see CMA wrapping up for 2024. (local area Christmas functions aside).
• Please continue to send through to our Prayer Co-ordinator, Cay Merritt, your prayer requests. Prayer for praise, for sickness, for family issues, for petitions to our Lord for strength, whatever it may be for you at this time. We need to be praying for each other, and for this world that we live in! Regular and earnest prayer amongst the membership is vital. We are all part of the CMA family.
Please don’t hesitate to provide the committee with ideas for rides, church raids and events you may have in mind. We need CMA NSW/ACT to be active amongst our communities, and serving our Lord.
Blessings to you all, as you continue to serve our Lord, within CMA NSW/ACT, and in the areas that Christ has called you to. I look forward to catching up with you at an event some time.
Graeme Bingham – CMA NSW/ACT President