Monday, February 07, 2005

Delighting in Meekness

Daily Reading: Micah 1-2, Psalm 7, Psalm 37

Psalm 37:3-5 “Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. (4) Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. (5) Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.”

There is so much said in this chapter it is too much to regurgitate here. I wanted to capture a bit of it to point out it’s main message which is so simple but obviously important as it is repeated and said in multiple ways verse after verse. Trust, rest, delight Commit thy way, & wait patiently on the Lord. This is stressed along with don’t fret, depart from evil, cease from anger and forsake wrath. David wrote these things and expresses his confidence in the Lords ability to do justice. It is a difficult thing to trust in God when the devil has you backed into a corner. How simple it sounds here but if we internalize these words and really apply them to everyday things…it’s a challenge that few are up to.

Personally I find it hard not to fret, not to complain and question when our Sunday school class doesn’t show up for class, for events, or let us know that they can’t make it. I find it hard not to be angry when I have sacrificed for people who aren’t honest and try to avoid me. Week after week, we take time to study, make phone-calls and attempt to meet the needs of people who aren’t willing to answer simple questions and I wonder why. But these words of David’s would challenge me…not them. They challenge me to let God be the one who provides, who feeds, grants desires and brings to pass the calling I’ve tried to answer. I have to remind myself that when God calls His children into service, He is not asking us to be little gods. He simply wants us to stand at attention until given specific tasks. We are not to worry about the outcome or fret about the procedure. Just do what I say…just be obedient…just worship…just rest…just trust He orders. We are left wondering, but not alone.

Psalm 37:11 “But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.”

What does it mean to be meek?

meek adj. meek·er, meek·est
1. Showing patience and humility; gentle.
2. Easily imposed on; submissive.

meek
adj 1: humble in spirit or manner; suggesting retiring mildness or even cowed submissiveness; "meek and self-effacing" [syn: mild, modest] 2: very docile; "tame obedience"; "meek as a mouse"- Langston Hughes [syn: tame] 3: evidencing little spirit or courage; overly submissive or compliant; "compliant and anxious to suit his opinions of those of others"; "a fine fiery blast against meek conformity"- Orville Prescott; "she looked meek but had the heart of a lion"; "was submissive and subservient" [syn: compliant, spiritless]

This doesn’t all sound like something desirable. As I’m reading these words though I think, maybe it is accurate. Maybe being meek simply means to hand over all I am to God. Maybe being spiritless isn’t so bad. Maybe that just means my spirit is completely and totally surrendered to God’s. Isn’t that what we all need to be? Jesus Himself did nothing without the Father’s permission or order. Nothing! It really says Nothing. That’s meekness. Complete submission, complete surrender. That doesn’t mean He was boring. I think that’s what we get confused. We think that if we are meek and submissive we end up being a doormat. No…we aren’t submissive to other people in this verse…we are submissive to God, to His ways, His personality and His passion. We celebrate the Passion of Christ, but as the meek Son of God…His passion was God’s Passion. If we are meek toward God’s ways and His authority…we will have Passion that causes worlds to change…The meek shall inherit the earth. Not the water and the dirt of it, the rule of it, the changing of it, the promise and potential of all men. We are children of a King…so seldom do we live as the princes and princesses that we are.

The last part of verse 11 says that the meek will delight themselves in the abundance of peace. I can’t even picture that. Delighting in the abundance of peace must be a little like waking up in heaven. Yet, it is available now…we can live in an abundance of peace. No fear, no fumbling, no doubt, no shame…completely rested and at ease about today and tomorrow and all that is to come. Rest! It’s so hard to imagine not worrying about what I need to do, yet that is His command. Rest!

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