Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder
Be With Me is a daily 7 minute chronological walk through the New Testament hosted by Michael Smith. It is for everyone who is curious about what Jesus actually said and did in the gospels. Most episodes will leave you with at least one good thought to chew on for the rest of the day. We start with the Bible and hopefully end with Awe. We are walking through the chronological events of Jesus' life and then thoughtfully considering them. It is meant to spur the devotional life of the Christian and the not-yet-Christian. We occasionally venture into the Old Testament when it helps our understanding of the New Testament events. Everybody has 7 minutes. Everybody needs to wonder. Be With Me is hosted by Michael Smith who has absolutely no special qualifications to do a podcast. He is not a pastor. He has not been to seminary. He does not lead a mega-church. He is not a professional and he has no more credentials than you do. He does, however, follow a great God with an observant eye and a curious heart. Each day, he starts with a study bible and aims for astonishment. ‘be with him’ for 7 minutes as he sets out daily to discover the God who invites us to ‘Be With Me.’
Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder
Why seek to be meek? Mt5:5 s31e39
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Meekness takes a bad rap in our world today. No surprise, it is one of God's favorite characteristics. In fact, Jesus Himself describes His own heart as meek.
If we have spiritual meekness aka gentleness, we are Settled, submissive, secure, solid and SATISFIED.
As a bonus, God describes this character quality as PRECIOUS to Him. This is why it might be best to SEEK TO BE MEEK.
https://youtu.be/UxADnm4n3sM
Why seek to be meek? Mt5:5 s31e39
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Meekness means bowed, bent, humble, lowly and
We pictured the meek as Mr. Lowly worm from Richard Scarry books yesterday.
Meekness is an inner spirit that is settled in humility
Positionally secure not in dominance but in dependence.
This attitude will radiate toward others in a secure way.
I wonder if you put this charge on your lips all day long5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
What would change in your prayers
In your interactions with those in your household? With your co-workers;with your driving; with the government; with your boss; with your spouse.
What might meekness be on the inside? Settled, submissive, secure, spiritually solid. And SATISFIED.
What might meekness look like in society of mankind?
I think we’d all be big fans of meekness
Benefit your home, your work, your relationships.
How can meekness be POWERFUL. How does it work?
Knowing who you are. Knowing whose you are has benefits.
Thinking of the energy saved by not striving, not self-seeking
Being of settled Spirit, saves power for what is productive.
Iwas thinking of the expression from Don Quixote: “tilting after windmills”"Tilting at windmills" is an idiom for fighting imaginary enemies, pursuing futile goals, or wasting energy on impossible, insignificant battles.
The spiritual life is hard enough without the screaming selfishness
There are enough real battles to occupy your attention.
The meek person is ready for the real battles.
Ps 22: 26 The afflicted(meek) shall eat and be satisfied;
Not hungering, but having. Not striving, but being satisfied
Not running, but resting
Ps10: 17 O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; (Meek) bowed, bent
you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear
Not spent, but strengthened not harried, but HEARD
Ps 147: 6 The Lord lifts up the humble; bowed, bent meek
Not laid-low but lifted.
The Lord lifts those who humbly lay themselves low
God bends down to the bent
God leans down toward those who are leaned over
God favors those fallen before Him
God is biased toward the bowed
God lifts the lowly worms
Why be meek? Why seek to be meek? One word: Jesus.
He exemplifies this perfectly: He declares Himself Meek. If meekness is good enough for Jesus it is good enough for me.
29 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.
In fact we are instructed here: LEARN from Me
In fact we are illustrated here: observe Me: I am GENTLE and lowly in heart. Gentle is the same Greek word for MEEK that is in our verse from Mt 55 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
And this is directly quoted from Ps 37: 11 so we have here a scripturally reinforced word from the OT into the NT. There is a perfect equivalence of Meekness from Ps 37, Meekness from Mt 5, and the rest of the ways this word is put into English: afflicted, humble, bowed, bent.
Why should I be meek? Because Jesus specifically described His heart this way. Oh that meekness would grow in the heart, the church, and the world!
Meekness is the engine that powers walking in the manner worth
Meekness is the settledness that is the fruit of the Spirit of gentleness
Meekness is the key that allows correction to be heard 2 Tim 2:
24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness.
Meekness is mentioned near other empowering Christian characteristics, notably submission. Both are hard, both are done to oneself, not imposed by others, both are positions of power, both result in benefits for the church.
Meekness is a beautiful thing. Says who? Says God:
1 Peter 3, when talking about the adorning of submission in God given authority sturcures: 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.
Gentleness, = meekness = bent is beautiful, imperishable, and in God’s sight: PRECIOUS.
That is, by developing meekness, you’d be pleasing God.
He’d look with favor on you
God bends down to the bent
God leans down toward those who are leaned over
God is satisfied with the stooped
God likes the bent over. The gentle. The lowly.
long5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
What would change in your prayers
In your interactions with those in your household? With your co-workers; with your driving; with the government; with your boss; with your spouse.
What might meekness be on the inside? Settled, submissive, secure, spiritually solid. And SATISFIED.
What might meekness look like in society of mankind
Seek to be meek.