Now let’s assume that you owed someone $20,000 and you couldn’t see how you’d offset that bill for the rest of your life. Now assume again, that a good Samaritan, a philanthropist, someone who has amassed a lot of wealth generously offers to pay off your debt, and does so. Suddenly you are debt-free. Is it likely that you’d go back to your previous creditor asking to remain a debtor to him? Unlikely.
What a transformation! What a Change! What a Suddenness of reversal of circumstances! My Father (and your Father) did it. He doesn’t change. That’s just the way He is!
If we are to be successful in maintaining a clean and peaceful thought process, then we must keep ourselves reminded of the 8-way thought test….
A spirit-ruled life will always experience victory, success and prosperity.
How are you handling life’s challenges? As the world would or as led by the Spirit?
Strife means bitter conflict, discord, antagonism, a quarrel, struggle, clash, competition or rivalry. Strife robs us of peace and joy.
Living a strife-free life is possible when we walk in love and humility
“Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.
The Lord has made known His salvation; His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations. He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Shout joyfully to the Lord , all the earth; break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.
Sing to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of a psalm, with trumpets and the sound of a horn; shout joyfully before the Lord, the King.
Let the sea roar, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell in it; let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills be joyful together before the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth. With righteousness He shall judge the world, And the peoples with equity.”
Merriam-Webster’ definition of meekness would be my best dictionary definition….
“the quality or state of being meek : a mild, moderate, humble, or submissive quality.”
This definition is quite close to the Biblical meaning of the word….
Meekness is quietness and gentleness of spirit. It is an inward gracing and temper of spirit that manifests physically. Meekness (gentleness/quietness) is part of the fruit of the Spirit….
“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!“
Galatians 5:22-23 NLT
It’s interesting to note that meekness is often listed or mentioned alongside humility in the Bible. Humility here meaning; the fear (reverence) of the Lord and the expression of God’s kind of love towards others.
We are admonished as disciples of Jesus Christ to exhibit the good virtue of meekness …
“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.”
Colossians 3:12-14 NKJV
“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love”
Ephesians 4:1-2 NKJV
Below is a quote from Vines about meekness…. I love it…
“Described negatively, meekness is the opposite to self-assertiveness and self-interest; it is equanimity of spirit that is neither elated nor cast down, simply because it is not occupied with self at all.”
So underlying meekness is selflessness. Selflessness is an attribute of humility. People who put themselves in the centre of everything struggle with selflessness, humility, agape and meekness.
Meekness and humility don’t just come naturally, no mere human is naturally all of these things. Jesus was described this way…
“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Matthew 11:29 NKJV
“Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ— who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you.”
II Corinthians 10:1 NKJV
And there lies the good news, if Jesus was all of these things and He lives in us, then we can be all of these things…Halleluyah!
1 Peter 3: 4 describes meekness as the ornament of the spirit…
“Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.”
I Peter 3:3-4 NKJV
“but let it be [the inner beauty of] the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality and unfading charm of a gentle and peaceful spirit, [one that is calm and self-controlled, not overanxious, but serene and spiritually mature] which is very precious in the sight of God.”
1 Peter 3:4 AMP
“Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.”
1 Peter 3:3-4 NLT
Just as an aside, I believe every woman was created beautiful. A woman should look simple, smart and beautiful. However there’s an ‘exessiveness’ and busyness of looking beautiful that is absolutely distracting….both for men and women (selah).
A gentle and quiet spirit is attractive, even to God. And it manifests physically, even in our dressing……
One of the first things I heard God say to me was; ‘in quietness is your strength’……I love the woman on the cover page of Francine Rivers’ book, The Scarlet Thread…..
There is a seeming quietness around her, she looks really calm and peaceful. Arnold (my husband) says she must have worked really hard to be comfortably seated like that….Well, I am working hard!…..?.
Back in University days some of my colleagues nicknamed me ‘cool, calm, calculated’…., that’s how it seemed physically, but they were so wrong, …..if only they knew the wars I had within…. thank God for the Holy Spirit at work in us.
In meekness, we are more pliable to the Word of God; our spirit as led by God’s Spirit gains more dominance over our minds, emotions and intellect.
“Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save your souls.“
James 1:21 NKJV
And there is an abundance of peace for the meek…
“But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.“
Psalms 37:11 NKJV
Child of God, you are Spirit, sent by the Father on earth on a mission, to impact lives positively. You are to be seen, to be heard, to make a difference. And though you have a specific purpose to accomplish, you can do all things through the force of the Spirit propelling you.
Recorded in Jeremiah 29, is a short story of how God’s people in exile to Babylon, who were taken away by Nebuchadnezzar as captives from Jerusalem, suddenly received a letter from Prophet Jeremiah.
This wasn’t an ordinary letter, it was a letter from God, a letter with a promise, a letter of hope. It was a promise from God to set things back in order and to realign the the experience of His people so as to fit His predetermined plan, thoughts and purpose for them.
“This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord . “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
Jeremiah 29:10-11 NLT
Maybe your life seems like that of the captives in Babylon, maybe your present situation looks nothing like what you’d call God’s plans for your life, maybe you feel like you’re not headed in the right direction, maybe sickness and disease stole your peace over time, maybe poverty suddenly crept in on you, maybe your best efforts seems to be ending in futility, or maybe the enemy just came on you like a thief in the night and it appears your life dreams have been distorted, behold the Word of the Lord to you today; I am setting IT back in order! Halleluyah!!!
Your health is being restored, your harvest is chasing after you; wealth is headed in your direction, you will experience peace again, God is here to change your story….. yes, God just weighed in, and He is setting your life back in order!!!
Whatever area of your life that needs fixing….God is setting IT back in order.
He is realigning IT, He is restoring IT, He is reorganizing IT, Halleluyah!
Your days of mourning are over, your nights of weeping have ended, suddenly the pains and aches are gone and your strength returns, joy and laughter are back in your home, your experience is changing for the best…. everything is realigning with God’s plans and thoughts for you. Halleluyah!! God is setting IT all in order.
And when you look back on the time and things you thought were lost, it will become apparent that really you lost nothing, instead you gained faith, trust, resilience, patience, experience, understanding.
Oh! Say it to yourself; say it out loud, say it until you are convinced that it’s true, until you see it, believe it and receive it…. “God is setting my life back in order.” Halleluyah! Halleluyah!! Halleluyah!!!
Happy Monday Friends, and have a most blessed week.
Healing confessions are no good if we lack the conviction that we are already healed. Our confessions and partaking in communion do not in themselves bring healing, they are ways in which we further proclaim and maintain that we are healed.
