Who Are The Meek? (and other devotionals)

Who Are the Meek? by Greg Laurie

Meekness is not weakness. Sometimes we confuse the two. But the difference between a meek person and weak person is this: a weak person can't do anything. A meek person, on the other hand, can do something but chooses not to. Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). 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. That is meekness. It is power under constraint. Although Jesus said, "Blessed [happy] are the meek," we don't celebrate meekness in our culture. Instead, we celebrate assertiveness. We celebrate getting things from other people, sometimes even taking advantage of other people. When is the last time you saw a movie that celebrated the virtue of meekness? When is the last time the big buildup for the movie was the moment when the good guy meekly restrains himself, even though he was wronged? We don't want to go to a movie like that. We want to see a payback movie in which the first half consists of bad things happening to the hero, and the last half consists of bad things that come to the people who did those things to the hero. That is what entertains us. That is what our culture celebrates. How different this is from what the Bible teaches. The Bible celebrates meekness. The biblical worldview says last is first. Giving is receiving. Dying is living. Losing is finding. The least is the greatest. Meekness is strength. The idea is that we are living by God's truth—not by what our culture says should make us happy. ______________________________ Precious Saints  Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.  Psalm 116:15, KJV Saints are precious in the sight of the Lord. More specifically, He sees the death of saints as precious in His sight. Their faithful living leaves a residue of righteousness on their relationships. Their countenance reflects Christ as they speak His truth and exhibit His grace. Precious memories remain for those who have been in their company.. They leave behind a legacy of having loved well. Precious saints provide a picture of Jesus. They allow us to look into the life of our Lord by their godly example. Their sensitive spirit rejoices when we rejoice and weeps when we weep. They do not cast stones of judgment; rather they are a rock of reassurance and encouragement. They are on the lookout for ways to serve, drawing attention to their Savior Jesus, not themselves. The inner beauty of their character is beautiful to behold. Precious saints finish well, so their death is a celebration of their faithfulness to God. “Rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God” (1 Peter 3:4 NKJV). Have you lost a precious soul who is near and dear to your heart? Has your husband, wife or lifetime friend (they are like a brother or sister) gone to be with the Lord?  What is precious has been taken and given a glorified body, while you remain in a temporary tent that mourns a great loss. Grieve well—as God has promoted His precious one. A saint who dies is precious because they have believed and seen Jesus as the most Precious One. Now that they are in the presence of Jesus in heaven—you can be intentional to enter into the presence of Jesus on earth. Though their body no longer lives, their precious spirit inspires  you to love God and love people. Use this defining moment of death to step up to another level of faith, love and hope that the Lord desires. The death of your precious saint compels you to also finish precious to God. “Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things thatpertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:1-3, NKJV). Prayer: How can I finish well, so my life is precious to the Lord at my homecoming into heaven? ~Wisdom Hunters Devotional~ ____________________________ He with Us; We with Him "The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened"   (Proverbs 10:27). There is no doubt about it. The fear of the LORD leads to virtuous habits, and these prevent that waste of life which comes of sin and vice. The holy rest which springs out of faith in the LORD Jesus also greatly helps a man when he is ill. Every physician rejoices to have a patient whose mind is fully at ease. Worry kills, but confidence in God is like healing medicine. We have therefore all the arrangements for long life, and if it be really for our good, we shall see a good old age and come to our graves as shocks of corn in their season. Let us not be overcome with sudden expectation of death the moment we have a finger-ache, but let us rather expect that we may have to work on through a considerable length of days. And what if we should soon be called to the higher sphere? Certainly there would be nothing to deplore in such a summons but everything to rejoice in. Living or dying we are the LORD's. If we live, Jesus will be with us; if we die, we shall be with Jesus. The truest lengthening of life is to live while we live, wasting no time but using every hour for the highest ends. So be it this day. ~Charles Spurgeon~