Devotion:
Read Matthew 5:5.
Elephants are so strong they have been used to carry large logs and even uproot trees. But these giant animals are usually gentle, especially when they are tamed from a young age. The elephant's trunk has more than 40,000 individual muscles and is strong enough to rip branches from trees but sensitive enough to pick up a single blade of grass. Elephants are both strong and gentle. Meekness requires us to be both strong and gentle. Jesus says in his Sermon on the Mount “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” This beatitude tells us that to experience the blessings of God, we need to be meek. Meekness does not mean weakness. Godly meekness requires strength! The biblical understanding of meekness is power under control. The word meek from the original language was used to describe reining in a stallion. It is the idea of a horse being controlled by a bit and bridle. The horse is choosing to submit to authority. We show meekness when we could lash out at others but we control our temper. We demonstrate meekness when we don’t react harshly when we are criticized. We demonstrate meekness when we give over control to God. Meekness is listed by the apostle Paul as one of the fruits of the spirit. Meekness is an indicator that we have God’s Spirit living in us. When we live with his Spirit in us we will experience the blessings of hope and joy Jesus describes in this beatitude.
Personal Worship Option:
Practice today being both strong and gentle as you demonstrate Godly meekness.
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