3/24/2022
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| In loving memory of my father Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023 |
Our message tonight comes from Psalm 37, but I am not at all sure how the Holy Spirit led me to this word. David wrote this Psalm in his older years. This is a psalm about wisdom, directed to man, teaching after the manner of the Book of Proverbs. Psalm 37 contains three major themes: the sovereignty of God, the sure judgment of the wicked, and the blessed life of those who are conformed to the likeness of the image of God. That is the same three themes throughout all of the Bible. As I re-read this Psalm, I was impressed with the repetition of the themes contained herein. Repetition in the Bible emphasizes the importance of the word. It is like the Lord is telling us to pay particular attention to what He is saying. The essence of this Psalm applies to every born-from-above Christian.
1 A Psalm of David. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
To fret is to worry, to fume, or to become vexed. Twice, in Verses 1 and 7, the word tells us to "fret not thyself" because of evildoers. The world is full of evildoers that seem to flourish and live in ease. Whether men are godly or ungodly, God allows the bounty that men enjoy, and, without any doubt, He has a right to do what He will with His creation. To be envious of evil workers is to find fault with the sovereignty of God.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
Any prosperity experienced by the workers of iniquity is only temporary, is fading and soon will be replaced by weeping and wailing. Both grass and the herb are green for a season, but they both wither quickly. While a godly man may go hungry at times, the wicked man eats anything and everything he wants as he enjoys his meal. Then he eats his last meal and soon will face terrible judgment. The godly man doesn't envy or worry about the wicked man. Evil workers instead of being envied, are to be viewed with aversion; yet their apparent finery is too apt to fascinate our half-opened eyes. All the apparent prosperity of the wicked will perish in time, as do the wicked themselves.
3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
The Lord provided natural Israel a land to enjoy, and His faithfulness was like food for them every day. In like manner, the Lord provides spiritual Israel, the body of Christ, with the kingdom of God on earth, but we must appropriate it by our obedience and by dying to self every day. That includes a deliberate redirection of our soul, such as when Paul and Silas prayed and sang to the Lord in prison.
Instead of worrying and envying, we are to simply trust God and do good for His glory. It is remarkable how quickly we can get distracted from the simple work of trusting God and doing good. Looking at the seeming prosperity of the wicked is one way we are often distracted.
Natural sight views things only as they seem to be, resulting in envy. Faith has clearer eyes to behold things as they really are, resulting in peace. Faith cures fretting. We must leave aside worry and envy and simply enjoy the blessings God gives. "In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
We must replace worry and envy with a conscious delight in the LORD. This means to cheer our heart and mind by considering and by faith receiving the many blessings of God. All our happiness comes from Him and by abiding in Him.
It takes effort to delight in the Lord. We must withdraw our eager desires for the things of the world, fastening and fixing them on the Lord. The wicked delight in their portion. If we take care to delight in our portion, rather than envying, we will pity the wicked. The reason many professing Christians do not delight in God is that we do not know Him very well, and the reason we do not know Him very well is that we do not spend time with Him. Do not think first of the desires of your heart, but think first of delighting yourself in the Lord. If we have truly accepted Him as our Lord, delight in Him, and He will give us the desires of our heart. Of course, that does not mean that He will give us our fleshly desires. It means He will give us our very desires for the will of God to be done in our life. The word also is important, because there are legitimate pleasures outside the life of the Spirit.
The Lord delights in each of His chosen people. Proverbs 8:31 says, "His delights were with the sons of men." If we think about who He is and what we are, and yield to His will, then He shall give us the desires of our heart. This is a wonderful and safe promise. Whoever truly delights in the LORD will find his heart and desires steadily changed, aligning with God's own good desires for our life. Finding delight in God is a key to a happy, satisfied life. It is possible for our desires to be clouded by sin or selfishness; but even when so clouded there is almost always a godly root to the desire that is entirely in the will of God. We can find our rest in this, and leave aside all worry and envy. When we delight ourselves in the LORD, He gives us our delight. If He is our delight, He gives us more of Himself.
5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass.
To delight our self in the LORD means to commit our way to Him and to truly trust in the LORD. It means to find peace and satisfaction in a surrendered focus upon God.
The Hebrew word for commit is literally "roll," as though getting rid of a burden, but it is used as a synonym for "trust." Those who have this delighted focus upon God will see Him bring His promises to pass. Fame and fortune are not promised, but the true and deep desires of the heart find their fulfillment in Christ. If we look to His honor, He will see to ours.
6 And He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
Here we see the sovereignty of God at work, doing that which only God can do. As God fulfills the desires of our heart, our righteousness is revealed, shining forth in light like the noonday sun. To the world that light seems to be hidden because of reproaches and grievous calamities. However, the righteousness of the saints shall be as visible to men as the light of the sun at noon-day. God said in the beginning, "Let there be light, and there was light." To the righteous He shall say once more, Let your light appear, and it will appear as suddenly as the light was at the beginning.
7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
Because God has promised to faithfully take care of those who put their trust in Him, we can rest in the LORD. We can wait patiently for Him instead of fretting and fearing. Rest in the LORD speaks of the rest of ceasing from our works or words of self-defense. Instead of speaking to vindicate ourselves, we can trust in God to protect us. Do not murmur or be discontent with His dealings, but quietly submit to His will, and then wait patiently for His help. If the spotless Lamb of God were silent before those who were robbing Him of His life, "silent" submission will be the deliverance of those who suffer for His righteousness' sake.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
Anger, wrath, and worry or fret accomplish nothing but harm. They are the opposite of delighting ourself in the LORD and patiently waiting for Him. We especially need to cease from anger against the sovereign arrangements of the Lord and jealousies of the temporary pleasures of those who are soon to be banished from all comfort. However, there is a place for righteous anger. Many different scriptures say that God has been angry with His chosen people. Ephesians 4:26, "Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:"
It is a common, human reaction for us Christians to fret or be envious of the wicked. The more we fret, the worse it becomes for us. It is both foolish and wicked to be envious of the prosperity of others. Verses 1 and 7 both tell us not to fret over evil doers. Verse 8 is different. It says "fret not in any way to do evil." In other words, if we persist in fretting over evil doers, we may end up doing the same evil things that the wicked do. Hebrews 3:12, "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God." Martin Luther once said that, whereas we cannot prevent the birds from hovering over and flying round about our heads, we can prevent them from building their nests in our hair.
Perhaps 35 years ago, when a driver cut me off on the road or honked his horn at me, or said an unkind or false word about me, I would respond in kind. I have learned that is not pleasing to the Lord. I now believe that no one can offend me. The Lord is my great Defender. How should we respond to the evil doers who transgress against us in word or deed? One way is simply to smile and say, "Thank you." By so doing we heap coals of fire on our enemy (Proverbs 25:21-22). Also, Jesus said, in Matthew 5:44 that we should pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.
Perhaps 35 years ago, when a driver cut me off on the road or honked his horn at me, or said an unkind or false word about me, I would respond in kind. I have learned that is not pleasing to the Lord. I now believe that no one can offend me. The Lord is my great Defender. How should we respond to the evil doers who transgress against us in word or deed? One way is simply to smile and say, "Thank you." By so doing we heap coals of fire on our enemy (Proverbs 25:21-22). Also, Jesus said, in Matthew 5:44 that we should pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.
9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
Evildoers have their day of prosperity, but it is short-lived. Soon the wicked who are famous and praised in this world will be of no notice or standing at all. The shortness of life makes us see that the glitter of the wicked ones is not true gold. The whole duration of the world itself is only "a little while" in the sight of Him whose hope is full of immortality.
11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
Jesus quoted this verse in the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 5:5. Psalm 37 is an exposition of that third beatitude, even though it was written a thousand years before Jesus began His public ministry. It unfolds the character of the meek person in the face of the apparent prosperity of the wicked. God will punish evildoers and reward the meek. The meek shall inherit the earth. Inheritance comes into view only after a death. It was the death and resurrection of Jesus that made possible our inheritance in Christ. What does it mean to inherit the earth? This statement when understood and lived contains the secret of overcoming every kind of difficulty. From the human standpoint this statement, or promise, seems ridiculous. It would seem that the aggressive, not the meek, inherit the earth. When Jesus spoke of the "earth" he did not mean the soil or dirt of this planet we call earth. Our "earth" means the whole of our experiences, and to "inherit the earth" means to have power to bring all of our conditions of life into the harmony and truth which is in Christ Jesus. How does Jesus say this is done? In a way that seems quite unexpected ... through meekness.
The true significance of the word "meek" in the Bible is an attitude toward God. Jesus was meek toward the Father. He said that "I of myself can do nothing." It is a combination of open-mindedness, faith in God, and the realization that the will of God for us is always something vital and much better than anything we could think of for ourselves.
Meekness doesn't mean a surrender to people but to God. The best receiver of divine power is the person who does not resist the flow of divine power. This attitude comes from a conviction that God is always the answer to human needs. We must be willing to submit wholeheartedly to the flow of the Spirit in and through us. Meekness is not fearful or passive or self-centered. It is God-centered. This is another reason for our delight and rest in the LORD. We can trust His promise that He will take care of His own not only in this world but in the world to come.
The "meek" bear their own adversities and the prosperity of their enemies without envy, anger, or complaint. The meek are those who choose the way of patient faith instead of self-assertion.
12 The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
Earlier in this psalm, David contrasted the fate of the righteous with the fate of the wicked. Now he considers the inevitable conflict between the righteous and the wicked - how, for no reason, the wicked plots against the just. Their gnashing of teeth shows the depth of their anger and hatred. The wicked show by their actions what they would do if they could; if they cannot gnaw, they will gnash; if they cannot bite, they will at least bark.
13 The Lord shall laugh at him: for He seeth that his day is coming.
For all the plotting and gnashing of teeth of the wicked, they accomplish nothing against the Lord and His people. God simply laughs at them, knowing their end. If God can laugh at the wicked, shouldn't we be able at least to refrain from being agitated by them? The evil man does not see how close his destruction is upon him; he boasts of crushing others when the foot of justice is already lifted to trample him underfoot.
14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.15 Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
The wicked plot and gnash their teeth, but they do not stop there. They work to carry out their plots and their fierce anger against God's people. Even so, God shall protect His own and their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. Like Haman, they shall be hanged upon the gallows built by themselves for Mordecai. Hundreds of times this has been the case. Saul, who sought to slay David, fell on his own sword.
16 A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
Since whatever the wicked has cannot last, the little that the righteous man has is better than all that the wicked possess. A God-trusting, righteous life is the best long-term investment strategy. His blessing can multiply a penny into a dollar, but His curse will shrink a dollar to a penny. A little blessed is better than a great deal cursed; a little blessed is better than a world enjoyed.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.
The reward of the wicked is to have their own arms broken. The reward of the righteous is to be upheld by God's own arms.
18 The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.
The apparent reward of the wicked is temporary and fleeting. The inheritance of the upright is eternal. This is more reason to avoid worry or envy of the wicked in their seeming, yet temporary, prosperity.
19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
God can always find a way to provide for His own when others have nothing.
20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.
The success, fame, and prosperity of the wicked is as temporary as smoke. It never has any real substance and soon vanishes completely. They shall be consumed as the fat of lambs. As the fat is completely consumed in sacrifices by the fire on the altar, so shall they consume away in the fire of God's wrath.
21 The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.
The difference between the wicked and the righteous is not only found in what they believe and in whom they trust. The difference is also often seen in their conduct. The wicked are takers, borrowing and not repaying. The righteous are givers and full of mercy.
22 For such as be blessed of Him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of Him shall be cut off.
The promise of earth-inheritance is repeated a third time. This is a blessing for the righteous, while the wicked find themselves cursed by the LORD and cut off.
23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in His way.
The reward for the righteous is not only in the age to come. In the present day, God guides the steps of a good man. As we seek the LORD and delight in Him, we find our life manifests the good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Romans 12:1-2). Even the most powerful must be supported by the Lord, otherwise their strength and courage will be of little use. This was true of Jesus as a man, whose steps the Father established, and in whose way He delighted.
Another great and present benefit for the righteous man is the knowledge that God delights in those who walk in His ways. This is especially clear for the believer under the New Covenant who knows and experiences a standing by grace, having been justified by faith (Romans 5:1-2).
24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with His hand.
David described a third great benefit for the righteous man who trusts in the LORD. Though we may at times fall or stumble, we will not fall away - we will not be utterly cast down. This is not because of our own internal strength or goodness, but because the LORD upholds us.
25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
David, from his own experience after many years, said that God cared for those who trusted in Him and walked in His righteousness. They were not forsaken and their seed was also blessed. Seeing God's faithfulness to His people, David wanted all future generations to also trust in the Lord, learning from his wisdom. For some strange reason we often have difficulties learning from the experiences of others.
David knew that some of his ancestors had left Israel, fearful in a time of famine (Ruth 1). When they returned after several disastrous years in Moab, they found the people of Bethlehem had been provided for. God knew how to take care of those who trusted in Him in times of famine, and has done so ever since.
Another way that God provides for the righteous and His seed is through the ethic of hard work that belongs to the redeemed, who know that all things should be done heartily, as unto the LORD - including working for a living.
God puts honor upon all that fear Him and cares for them and their posterity. Some of these good men's children may have walked contrary to God, so God has walked contrary to them.
Psalm 18:24-27, "Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His eyesight. With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright; With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward [or perverse] thou wilt shew thyself froward. For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks."
The word "afflicted" means humble or lowly. This is what Psalm 37 is all about for His chosen people.
Let us read again Psalm 37 and verse 25. "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread." In four months, I will be 91 years of age. That verse applies to me and my wife. I never made much money in the 46 years that I worked in secular jobs. In my first year of working, my salary was about $2200 a year. In my last year of working my salary was about $51,000 a year, before taxes. For the last 21 years my income wage for federal tax purposes has been zero. I have not been required even to file a state income return for many long years because of my low income. We put four children through college and never had to borrow a nickel. I never received a nickel of inheritance from my parents. Instead, I had to pay all expenses when my mother left this earth.
Linda has a wonderful testimony related to her father. He disinherited her because she was a Christian. His money and his financial empire apparently were more important to him than his only daughter. He also told Linda never to say the name of Jesus in his presence. One day she received a phone call from one of her brothers. He said that their father was in the hospital (in Charlotte, NC) and would be dead before she could get there. In desperation, knowing that her father was not saved, she cried out to the Lord. She asked the Lord Himself to preach salvation to her father on his deathbed. Then, like some folks do, she opened her Bible at random. The first verse she saw was Exodus 33:17. "And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my spirit, and I know thee by name." We were and still are totally convinced that Linda's father was saved, sovereignly, by the Lord.
Let us read again Psalm 37 and verse 25. "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread." In four months, I will be 91 years of age. That verse applies to me and my wife. I never made much money in the 46 years that I worked in secular jobs. In my first year of working, my salary was about $2200 a year. In my last year of working my salary was about $51,000 a year, before taxes. For the last 21 years my income wage for federal tax purposes has been zero. I have not been required even to file a state income return for many long years because of my low income. We put four children through college and never had to borrow a nickel. I never received a nickel of inheritance from my parents. Instead, I had to pay all expenses when my mother left this earth.
Linda has a wonderful testimony related to her father. He disinherited her because she was a Christian. His money and his financial empire apparently were more important to him than his only daughter. He also told Linda never to say the name of Jesus in his presence. One day she received a phone call from one of her brothers. He said that their father was in the hospital (in Charlotte, NC) and would be dead before she could get there. In desperation, knowing that her father was not saved, she cried out to the Lord. She asked the Lord Himself to preach salvation to her father on his deathbed. Then, like some folks do, she opened her Bible at random. The first verse she saw was Exodus 33:17. "And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my spirit, and I know thee by name." We were and still are totally convinced that Linda's father was saved, sovereignly, by the Lord.
Genesis 14:21-23, "And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:"
Just like Abraham, no man can say he made us personally rich. If I were to share with you all the ways that the Lord has blessed us financially, you would say that is impossible. But with God nothing is impossible. Back to Psalm 37.
26 He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.
In times of scarcity, the righteous ones not only receive God's provision, but with a generous and merciful heart they lend to others in need. How stingy, covetous, professing Christians can hope for a blessed life on earth is a marvel to those who read such verses as this in the Bible.
27 Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.
The righteous man trusts in God but also receives and values moral instruction. God's care for us does not make us careless, but careful in pleasing Him. This verse also speaks to us in the heat of difficulty. A conflict with evil too often tempts us to fight the enemy with our own strength. Having therefore these glorious promises and privileges, let none of us do any evil or unjust thing to enrich or secure ourself, nor abstain from charitable actions for fear of undoing ourself by giving to others.
28 For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not His saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
Since God loves justice, so should we, His chosen people. He is faithful and does not forsake us, but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. The children who follow the wicked steps of wicked parents shall, like their parents, be cut off. God's judgments as well as His mercies descend to posterity.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.
Once again, David describes the blessing appointed to the righteous in the coming age. They will find a secure place and inheritance in the world to come. The saints shall one day have power over all things; meanwhile we are sure right now of a sufficiency.
30 The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.
David again turns to the conduct of God's righteous people and notes their wise and just words.
31 The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.
The righteous man is also marked by his love for the word of God. In a way that is truly fulfilled by the New Covenant, he has the word of God in his heart.
Jeremiah 31:33, "But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people."
Because of this knowledge of and reliance upon God's word, none of his steps shall slide.
32 The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.33 The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.
The righteous man is not at the mercy of the wicked. God will protect him, particularly in the ultimate judgment and will not condemn him when he is judged. In considering the remarkable blessings God has appointed to the righteous, David did not imply life would be easy. One danger continually faced is from the wicked who hate the righteous without cause. Some still carry about a bloody club, hating that goodness in another that they neglect in themselves.
34 Wait on the LORD, and keep His way, and He shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.
For the fifth time in this psalm, David promised that the wicked would be cut off. Their coming doom is just as certain as the coming blessing and security of the righteous. Also, for the fifth time in this psalm, David promised the people of God that they would inherit the land. As king of Israel, David had a concern for their territory, but he also extended that prophetic word to us. God's people have a promised land in the coming age. Wait in obedience as a servant, in hope as an heir, in expectation as a believer. While we are waiting let us be careful not to waver. The day is coming, when he who has stood meekly in the presence of men, and has suffered for truth and righteousness, shall be advanced to a throne among the saints and martyrs, to assist at the trial of his once-insulting judges. Jesus said, in
Revelation 3:21, "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne."
35 I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.36 Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.
Psalm 1 uses a flourishing tree as a picture of the righteous. Here it is used in reverse, the wicked being compared to a green tree which flourishes for a time but soon passes away and is seen no more. David had seen wicked people rise to great security and success, only to have passed away and to have become no more. To the surprise of many the great man was gone, his estate sold, his business bankrupt, his house alienated, his name forgotten, and all in a very short period of time!
37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.
The righteous men of this world get little attention. Our culture is more interested in the godless and the wicked. Today the Hollywood actors, the big-name athletes, and the many singers and musicians are called celebrities. They make millions of dollars every year. David counseled us to notice the perfect and the upright of this world because the future of that man is peace.
38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.
For the sixth and final time in this psalm, David reminds us that the future of the wicked is not to be desired. God's judgments will soon break the teeth of all devouring lions.
39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: He is their strength in the time of trouble.40 And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in Him.
In David's praise and encouragement of righteous men, it is possible to think we are saved by our own righteousness. David reminds us that our salvation is from the LORD, and that He is our strength in the time of trouble. While trouble overthrows the wicked, it only drives the righteous to their strong Helper, who rejoices to uphold them. The fundamental trust that the righteous have in God is that our place in Christ is secured by our trusting love of the LORD.
Humility and meekness are closely related, but they are not the same. Jesus said, in
Matthew 11:29, "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."
"Lowly in heart" means humble.
Humility means to come so low that we are on the ground level. It takes on the form of unselfishness. Humility is a quality of the mind.
Humility means to come so low that we are on the ground level. It takes on the form of unselfishness. Humility is a quality of the mind.
Philippians 2:5-8, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
Humility is a quality of Christ that we must decide to become and walk in.
Meekness does NOT mean being weak, with no backbone, unable to make proper decisions, or letting people run all over us. Meekness is a quality of the spirit. We have the power to retaliate but we choose not to. Our spirit must be under the control of the Spirit of Christ. The word "meek" means mild, gentle, kind. It refers to having a benevolent spirit, the kind we are not born with. We are born with the spirit of revenge. Meekness is a broken spirit which has been processed by God. It is a spirit that is totally surrendered to God. In Exodus 2:11-12 Moses went out and saw an Egyptian smiting a Hebrew. A spirit of fight and retaliation rose up in Moses and he smote the Egyptian, burying him in the sand. "Sand" in the Bible speaks of man's works.
The Hebrew word for "meek" can be translated, "worn-out." What happened to Moses on the backside of the desert? God wore him out! He took all the fight out of him. What was the result of God's preparation? In Numbers 12:3 we read that Moses was the meekest man on earth. That verse can be translated that Moses was "the most worn-out man on earth." Moses became no milk-toast leader. It took a special man to lead millions of people out of Egypt.
How do we acquire meekness? It comes by the process of God in our life ... Moses in the wilderness, John on the Isle of Patmos, John the Baptist in the desert, Paul in Arabia, and us in the circumstances of our life, provided that we submit to the work of the Holy Spirit within.
Psalm 37 reveals the character of the meek man. He does not fret nor envy the wicked; he trusts in God, does good, and dwells in the land; he delights himself in the Lord, trusts the Lord, commits his way unto the Lord, rests in the Lord, waits patiently for the Lord. He ceases from anger, forsakes wrath, delights in peace, shows mercy, gives to others, delights in the ways of the Lord, speaks wisdom and talks of judgment. The law of God is in his heart.
This is what it means to be meek, and it is one of our greatest needs today. May we all decide to humble ourself and to allow the Spirit of God to thoroughly process us such that we will be as bold as a lion but as gentle and meek as a lamb. Amen.
Meekness does NOT mean being weak, with no backbone, unable to make proper decisions, or letting people run all over us. Meekness is a quality of the spirit. We have the power to retaliate but we choose not to. Our spirit must be under the control of the Spirit of Christ. The word "meek" means mild, gentle, kind. It refers to having a benevolent spirit, the kind we are not born with. We are born with the spirit of revenge. Meekness is a broken spirit which has been processed by God. It is a spirit that is totally surrendered to God. In Exodus 2:11-12 Moses went out and saw an Egyptian smiting a Hebrew. A spirit of fight and retaliation rose up in Moses and he smote the Egyptian, burying him in the sand. "Sand" in the Bible speaks of man's works.
The Hebrew word for "meek" can be translated, "worn-out." What happened to Moses on the backside of the desert? God wore him out! He took all the fight out of him. What was the result of God's preparation? In Numbers 12:3 we read that Moses was the meekest man on earth. That verse can be translated that Moses was "the most worn-out man on earth." Moses became no milk-toast leader. It took a special man to lead millions of people out of Egypt.
How do we acquire meekness? It comes by the process of God in our life ... Moses in the wilderness, John on the Isle of Patmos, John the Baptist in the desert, Paul in Arabia, and us in the circumstances of our life, provided that we submit to the work of the Holy Spirit within.
Psalm 37 reveals the character of the meek man. He does not fret nor envy the wicked; he trusts in God, does good, and dwells in the land; he delights himself in the Lord, trusts the Lord, commits his way unto the Lord, rests in the Lord, waits patiently for the Lord. He ceases from anger, forsakes wrath, delights in peace, shows mercy, gives to others, delights in the ways of the Lord, speaks wisdom and talks of judgment. The law of God is in his heart.
This is what it means to be meek, and it is one of our greatest needs today. May we all decide to humble ourself and to allow the Spirit of God to thoroughly process us such that we will be as bold as a lion but as gentle and meek as a lamb. Amen.
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