Hello there,
How did the first Monday in March go for you?
In today’s Beatitude teaching, we shall examine what it means to be meek and the promise of an inheritance to those who are meek.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. — Matthew 5:5, NKJV.
What is Meekness?
A lot of people in our world today have associated or interpreted this word to mean weakness or timidity. This is an incorrect assumption considering that certain words in the English Language seem to have their real meanings replaced with misconstrued ideas born out of wrong contextual usages.
Generally, the word 'meek' when used in the Bible refers to a state of lowliness in heart, a humbleness of mind, a gentleness of spirit. In this verse, Jesus was talking about a person who has the above descriptions; one who places himself as nothing before His Maker and submits himself to the rulership of the Lord God. Meekness involves the deliberate act of submitting one’s self to the Word and Will of God.
P.S. Depending on the Bible Translation being used, meekness can also be referred to as gentleness.
To Inherit a Thing
Think of this scenario — A man had large farmlands in various parts of a village. He planted seeds across each farms, carefully cultivating and watching his crops to ensure there was no pests, rodents or disease outbreak that affected his crops. When the time for harvest drew nigh, he called his children and began to give each of them a land, to keep for themselves. By doing so, he made his children heirs of the lands. Each of them acquired a land and everything in it.
This example highlights what it means to inherit a thing; it involves taking something as a heritage for one’s self or receiving an item, whether tangible or intangible, from someone who possessed it earlier.
Meekness: A Fruit of the Spirit
One of the revelations God is giving me about Himself is a knowing of Him as the ideal Farmer.
You see, a farmer is very patient and practical. He tills the soil, plants a seed into it and waters it judiciously till it germinates. As the sprout grows, the farmer continuously nurtures it until it develops into a full, mature tree or shrub with its desired fruits.
In the same vein, God has given us His Word and continues to plants it in our hearts at various circumstances. When we yield to Him by acting in accordance to His Word and obeying His Spirit, He carefully takes away every part of us that is untamed and prunes our excesses. All these result in fruits being borne out of us; of which meekness is one.
I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. — Galatians 5:16–24, NKJV.
Meekness In Trials
Meekness also involves endurance when God’s hand does not seem favourable to us. I use this word - seem - because God is always good, even when we do not see perfectly what He does in our lives. Meekness is the virtue to wait for God’s will at every given time and not seek to rely on ourselves. In the midst of our trials, meekness helps us to surrender and put ourselves under God’s feet, accept His dealings with us so that we can be refined through our tribulations.
The Inheritance for the Meek
We can view this subject in two perspectives:
- Inheritance in the present earth
- Future inheritance in eternity
Earthly Inheritance
God’s promises are constant and recurring throughout Scriptures, right from Genesis, as with Abraham, who is our father in faith.
And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. — Hebrews 6:12–15, NKJV.
God promises to cater for those who are gentle in spirit. Those who submit to Him and live in obedience of His precepts shall receive earthly bountiful care. They shall not lack spiritually, materially and in other aspects of their lives.
Who is the man that fears the Lord?
Him shall He teach in the way He chooses. He himself shall dwell in prosperity, and his descendants shall inherit the earth. — Psalm 25:12–13, NKJV.
Heavenly Inheritance
Galatians 5:21 states that those who do not walk according to the Holy Spirit will not inherit the Kingdom of God. When we dig deeper into this verse, we deduce that there is a future inheritance waiting for God’s people at the end of time.
As believers, we must surrender to God in all areas of our lives, as He is the One who created us and all things that exist. Our submission to God is essential as God desires His children to come into complete growth and development of themselves. We must be meek and humble in our hearts, so that God can transform and use us in the way He pleases.
May God give us the grace to yield to Him always. Amen.
