3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.
7 Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9 For those who are evil will be destroyed,
but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.
10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 But the meek will inherit the land
and enjoy peace and prosperity.
I have read this verse several times and one thing always stands out, “But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity.”
This has always sounded like a novel idea, but for many years I thought to myself, “Who wants to be meek??” I always associated “meek” with “wimpy and spineless” infact spineless is actually one definition for meek on dictionary.com
However, lets look at what it really means to be meek. You may just find that it is not spineless at all. In fact, in today’s soceity, it actually takes a lot of courage to be meek.
1) Meek people trust in God. They feel that God is for them and not against them. Therefore they do not need to fear when things are not going their way. They can rest in the confidence that God is for them – in the good times and the bad.
2) Meek people turn their lives over to God. They know God is trustworthy and they give all of their lives over to him. This includes their work, business, schooling, family, illness, troubles and successes. They admit that they alone are not sufficient enough to have the knowledge or wisdom to oversee all aspects of their lives, but God does, so they trust him to guide and sustain them.
3) They are still and wait on God. Once they trust that God has their best interests at heart, they wait patiently for his guidance. They wait for God to work in their lives. This is not to be confused with laziness though – as if God is to do all the work. They work at a steady pace that comes from knowing that God is in control. There faith in God allows them to work in a calm and controlled manner – even in times of turmoil.
4) They do not get angry. They know God is in control and the challenges and obstacles that arrise in this world do not dismay them. They know that God has the ultimate say and they do not let bitterness, hatred, revenge or defensiveness consume their life when things do not go their way. Instead they respond patiently and quietly trusting in God and his plan.
Being meek is about trusting God and turning your life over to him. It is about relenquishing control to his will and working to serve his plan. With meekness comes true freedom, contentment and peace.
This is quite contrary to the world we live in now. Everyone is rushing all the time, trying to grab everything they can as soon as they can. There is no time to wait or someone else might grab your piece of the pie and if they do vengence is sought.
If you really think about it, a lifestyle based around meekness seems perfect. It gives us total freedom by trusting in God that his good and perfect will will unfold in due time. The bible says that there will be troubles in this world, but a meek person will not let these difficult times consume them. Instead they will turn to God and seek his will and guidance.
When I was younger this was the last person I wanted to be. I was in charge of MY company. I wanted everything I could get – money, vacation homes, cars – now. I did not want to depend on anyone. I was in a rush to get to a final destination that never seemed to arrive.
In contrast meekness is now something I truly want. I love the peace and freedom that comes from turning all my struggles over to God and admitting that I am not fit to cope with the complexities of life be it business, turmoil or addictions. If God if for me, whom then shall I fear?
God’s plan is good and perfect and I find peace and joy putting my faith in his hands.