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If you think meek
is weak, try being meek for a week. True meekness is not a
sign of weakness. It takes a really strong person to be truly
meek.
Moses, we are told,
was the meekest man on the face of the earth and he certainly
was not a weak individual. To face the rigors of putting up
with some two and a half million people who were constantly
complaining took a lot of courage as well as patience.
Unger’s Bible Dictionary
tells us that ”meekness in the scriptural sense is an inwrought
grace of the soul; and the exercises of it are first and chiefly
toward God. The Greek term expresses that temper of spirit
in which we accept His dealings with us without disputing
and resisting; and it is closely linked with humility.”
The Lord Jesus
invites us to ”come unto him... and to take his yoke and learn
of him for he is meek and lowly in heart.” Jesus Christ would
certainly qualify as the meekest man who ever lived and yet
he was also the most powerful man who ever lived.
It takes great
strength of character to be reviled and revile not again.
Peter tells us that when Christ ”suffered, he threatened not;
but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.”
It takes great
strength to be meek, ”to resist not evil: but whosoever shall
smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.”
Jesus not only
told us to do this. He did it! It is one thing to know what
is right. It is quite another thing to do it.
Since we are promised
that ”the meek shall inherit the earth” we had better begin
practicing meekness. The world despises the characteristics
that please God. This is why the world equates meekness with
weakness.
We need to understand
that ”the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.” We
need to listen to Peter, who tells us that the ”ornament of
a meek and quiet spirit is in the sight of God of great price.”
It was Peter who
also told us to ”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.”
We must realize
that humility and meekness are kindred spirits and the opposite
of doing ”what comes naturally.” We should accept the challenge
of being meek for a week and observe the startling change
that will take place in us. Being meek for a week will convince
us that meekness is not weakness.
James asks us a
question: ”Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among
you?” The answer to James’ question should interest us because
we ought to try to be that person who is wise and endued with
knowledge. To be this person, James tells us that we should
”by our good life show our works in the meekness of wisdom.”
Isaiah tells us
that ”the meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD.”
David declares, ”The LORD taketh pleasure in his people; he
will beautify the meek with salvation.” Meekness is beautiful
and salvation is the result, for truly ”the meek shall inherit
the earth.”
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