Devotion for Today: 17 May 2005 Devotion for Today "Blessed are the Meek" Matthew 5:5

<DIV> 17 May 2005   Devotion for Today  “Blessed are the Meek”  Matthew 5:5<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p>             According to Bill Farmer's newspaper column, J. Upton Dickson was a fun-loving fellow who said he was writing a book entitled Cower Power. He also founded a group of submissive people. It was called DOORMATS. That stands for "Dependent Organization of Really Meek And Timid Souls -- if there are no objections." Their motto was: "The meek shall inherit the earth -- if that's okay with everybody." Their symbol was the yellow traffic light.  That is the opinion many people have of the beatitude which Jesus presents to us today. They think that Jesus must have meant this when he said that the meek were blessed (happy). What was Jesus speaking of?  <o:p></o:p>             There is much confusion about meekness.  Many equate Meekness with weakness. Many associate meekness with an attitude of allowing everyone to run over you because you are afraid of them. This is not meekness. In fact, some of the strongest men who have ever lived have been meek. Look at a list of some people that the Bible says were meek and see the fallacy of such thought. <o:p></o:p>             Moses was a great leader. You don’t get to be the leader of this rebellious lot by being a pushover.  Yet in  Numbers 12:3 - “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.”   <o:p></o:p> Now don’t get the wrong idea about Moses. Here was a man, by God’s grace, stood up to mighty Pharaoh.  And its true, Moses was a man with a fierce temper—He was not the kind of guy you could push around.  In fact it was his temper which had betrayed him during the time in the wilderness—but when God said, in effect, “Now look, Moses, in order to teach the whole world how much loss sin can bring, I’m not going to let you enter the land; the people will go in, but you won’t,” But Moses did not curse God in furious protest; quietly, if sadly, he accepted God’s decision. That’s meekness. Meekness, for a child of God, means accepting uncomplainingly what comes, knowing that it comes from the hand of God who orders all things. What he sends, we accept in faith even if it hurts, knowing that it’s for our and others’ good.<o:p></o:p> Those who are meek—that is, prepared to forego their rights in this world, if that’s what God requires of them.  Tomorrow I will have more to say about meekness.<o:p></o:p> Have a blessed day!<o:p></o:p> (apologies for no devotion yesterday, my server was down)    </DIV> <DIV>Rev. Jeffery C. Russell Salem Baptist Church Elizabeth City, NC <A href="mailto:jefferyrussell@earthlink.net">jefferyrussell@earthlink.net</A></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>website:   <A href="http://25621.lifewaylink.com">http://25621.lifewaylink.com</A> <A href="http://jeffrussellsblog.blogspot.com">http://jeffrussellsblog.blogspot.com</A> <A href="http://devotionfortoday.blogspot.com/">http://devotionfortoday.blogspot.com/</A></DIV>

Devotion for Today

Tuesday, May 17, 2005

17 May 2005 Devotion for Today "Blessed are the Meek" Matthew 5:5

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