The Weapon of Meekness

I was very blessed, encouraged, and challenged when I read this yesterday.

Meekness is teachability.  It is the readiness to be shown, which includes the readiness to lay down my fixed notions, my objections and “what ifs” or “but what abouts,” my certainties about the rightness of what I have always done or thought or said.  It is the child’s glad “Show me!  Is this the way?  Please help me.”  We won’t make it into the kingdom without that childlikeness, that simple willingness to be taught and corrected and helped.   We must walk (live) in the Spirit, not gratifying the desires of the sinful nature (for example, my desire to answer back, to offer excuses and accusations, my desire to show up the other's fault instead of to be shown my own).  We must “clothe” ourselves (Colossians 3:12) with meekness-put it on, like a garment.  This entails an explicit choice: I will be meek.  I will not sulk, will not retaliate, will not carry a chip.  A steadfast look at Jesus instead of at the injury makes a very great difference.  Seeking to see things in His light changes the aspect altogether.  The weapon of meekness counters all enmity, says author Dietrich Von Hildebrand, with the offer of an unshielded heart.  Isn’t this the simple explanation for our being so heavy-laden, so tired, so overburdened and confused and bitter?  We drag around such prodigious loads of resentment and self-assertion.  Shall we not rather accept at once the loving invitation: “Com to Me.  Take my yoke.  Learn of Me-I am gentle, meek, humble, lowly.  I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28-29 paraphrased).
~Elisabeth Elliot, Keep a Quiet Heart
~Brittany

Meekness and Joy in the Lord

“The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord.”  - Isaiah 29:19a

I was struck by this verse during my Bible reading this morning, and found myself doing a bit of word study work and commentary reading on meekness.  I found John Gill's comments very good and insightful, so I thought I would share my findings here with all of you. :-)

"The "meek", lowly, and humble, are such who are made sensible of sin, and become humble under a sense of it; who see the insufficiency of their own righteousness, and submit to the righteousness of Christ; who attribute all they have, and are, to the free grace of God, and quietly submit to every dispensation of Providence; who are not easily provoked by men, but bear much and long without reviling; who envy not those that are above them in gifts and grace, nor despise those that are below them, and think the worst of themselves, and the best of others; now these have joy in the Lord, in the Word of the Lord, as the Targum, in the Lord Jesus Christ; in the greatness and glory of his person as Jehovah, and so able to save to the uttermost; in him as the Lord their righteousness; in his blood and sacrifice, for the pardon and expiation of their sins; in his fulness as theirs, to supply their wants; in his salvation, being so great, so full, so free, and suitable to them: and whereas their joy may be interrupted through the corruptions of their hearts, the temptations of Satan, and divine desertions, they "shall add" joy in the Lord, as in the original; they shall repeat it, it shall come again, it shall be restored unto them, and they shall afresh exercise it, and "increase" in it, as we render it; for spiritual joy may be increased by the discoveries of the love of God; by fresh views of Christ, through an increase of knowledge of him, and faith in him; by means of meditation and prayer, and by reading and hearing the word."

-John Gill's Commentary on Isaiah 29:19a 

The last part of his comments really stood out to me.  It is in looking to Christ, through communion with Him, that we come to see ourselves as less and Him as the amazing God He is, thus drawing our hearts more closely to Him in love, giving us joy and making us satisfied in Him, thus detouring us from seeking joy in sin and the pleasures of this life.

  ~Brittany