Blessed are the Meek | Matthew 5:5

Power under control

*Matthew 5:5 "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth."*

We've all heard the saying, "Meekness is not weakness." That may be cliché, but it is true. Meekness is power under control, and power without control is useless. Think of fire—unless it is controlled it is not only useless but dangerous. Wind, electricity, water, or any other great power source has only been made useful to mankind when we learned how to control it.

God has given men a great power of will—the ability to choose. To an extent, He allows us to exercise this power freely, though He reserves the right to trump our decisions as He sees fit. Most men use this power to say what they want, do what they want, and act how they want—mostly contrary to God's will. That is the "I do what I want" mentality. That is not meekness. Meekness is controlling the power God has put in your hands.

*The World Calls It Weakness*

This world looks at such men of control as weak. When they have an opportunity to become rich, but instead they give their life to full-time service, the world looks on and says, "How weak! He didn't have the wherewithal to take life by the horns!" Or when the meek young man turns away opportunities of unsanctioned and uncontrolled pleasure, their peers sneer at them and assume they just didn't "have the guts." Many other scenarios come to mind, but the greatest example of meekness we could imagine is our Lord Jesus. He had all power under heaven and earth, and yet He opened not His mouth, but went silently to the prison, to the whipping post, and finally to His death on the cross. Did He not have power? Of course He did. With one word He could have banished His enemies, but He controlled His power.

*They Shall Inherit the Earth*

Meekness often causes us to miss what looks like profitable and pleasurable opportunities, and therefore most people would not consider it a blessing. But Jesus says it is, and here is why: "For they shall inherit the earth." Meekness does not take for itself what it will but waits on God to give what He sees fit. If you will be meek, control your will, control your appetite for life and wait on God, you won't have to take for yourself anything—He will give it to you!

Jesus waited on God's timing, and now He has a name above every name. He has been glorified above all creatures great and small! David never took the kingdom from Saul but was meek and waited on God to deal with Saul, and God gave the kingdom to David. When Absalom tried to take the kingdom from David, he did not exercise his right to crush the rebellion immediately, but left Jerusalem weeping and let God deal with Absalom. Soon God dealt with Absalom and placed the kingdom back in the hands of David.

*Wait on God*

These examples show us a pattern: the meek receive what they never grasped for. Believer, if you will wait on God, you will be ridiculed by this world. "He just doesn't have the guts!" "She's just a doormat." But remain meek. Wait on God, for one day the things you never took for yourself will be given to you by God for eternity! We will rule and reign with Him! Men take this temporal world for themselves for a few short years of pleasure, but the meek will receive an eternal world that fades not away! This earth will be united under Christ. The lion will lay down with the lamb, and all things will be reconciled here on earth, and God will give to the meek an inheritance that fadeth not away! Truly, blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.