Sermon on the Mount, Day 5 of 40: Blessed are the Meek

Matthew 5: 5
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

The meek are those who put aside their own pride and self centeredness for the will of God in their lives.  Instead of relying on their own strength, they put their trust in God and are willing to be led by the Holy Spirit, knowing that God is good, and wherever he leads, it is for His good purpose.

We see this sort of meekness in the Apostle Paul, as described in Acts.  During his travels, Paul is led by the Holy Spirit from city to city and from country to country, preaching the gospel, leading others to Christ and making disciples.  It wasn't easy.  During the course of these travels, Paul describes, in 2 Corinthians 11 the following hardships that he personally suffered:

"24 Five times I have received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked; for a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from bandits, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers and sisters; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, hungry and thirsty, often without food, cold and naked."

Yet, after each beating or stoning or shipwreck; after each sleepless night; after each instance of hunger and thirst, Paul is found in the next city, preaching the gospel, making disciples.  After any one of these hardships, Paul could have given up.  And who among us could have blamed him?  But his own "meekness" would not let him.  And the next day, hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit, he was willing to be led, knowing that God is good.

Tomorrow we will study the blessedness of those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.