Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5 KJV
How do you define 'meek'? The Cambridge dictionary defines it as 'Quiet, gentle, and not wiling to argue or express your opinions in a forceful way'. It gives a picture of someone who believes that the path of peace is better in the long run than the path of conflict or self-interest. It doesn't mean that the person is clueless or without any opinion; it just means that the person is willing to accommodate different opinions.
You have to then wonder what's so special about being called meek? The one good example that can explain it is Moses, who was called the meekest man on earth by God. If you look at Moses' life and his decisions, you have to give God credit for the work He did in Moses' life. Here was a man whose first public walk ended up in the murder of an Egyptian. Yet, for the next 80 years, he learnt how to lead a multitude of grumpy, ungrateful people from Egypt to Canaan. He was provoked, but rather than lash out, he would go to God and report. And that is the difference between God and the world's view on meekness.
Man sees being meek as being foolish or easy to oppress. God seeks meekness as a character he can use to achieve his purpose. All the men who God used were of different character traits, but the one thing each one had was a heart that was submitted to God. That is the basis of the reward promised for all who are meek: inherit the earth. All of God's greatest blessings are reserved for those who God can use to impact the earth. How does God deliver mighty treasures into the hands of arrogant and self-centred men, who do not know or appreciate the power of the Almighty God? How does God use proud men for mighty miracles, men who think that their strength or wisdom has made the mighty possible?
If I will enjoy all that God promises, the secret lies in my secret pursuits and priorities. God is very interested in what goes on inside me, because that is the secret to how He can use me in the public. Meekness is internal, but its benefits are both visible and eternal in impact. Can God call me meek? His time of favour is here.
No comments:
Post a Comment