Blessed Are The Gentle :: Deeper Devotion

Blessed Are The Gentle

June 26, 2009

By Glenn Ansley

Matthew 5:5

Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

The promise of inherited land was very familiar to the Israelites (Genesis 15). So also were the stipulations of a gentle heart and a righteous spirit for those who waited on that inheritance (Psalm 37). To promise that the gentle will inherit the earth establishes a connection between God’s promise to Abraham and Jesus’ promise to all of God’s children. While the old covenant promised an earthly kingdom, the new covenant promised a heavenly one.

Psalm 37 offers us wonderful insight into the heart of David as he fought for that kingdom. It teaches us that God is our true defender. While our enemies may often outnumber us in their presence, “better is the little of the righteous than the abundance of many wicked” (v. 16). Just as the Israelites were commanded to wait on the Lord with a gentle and righteous spirit until God’s promise was fulfilled, so we are also commanded to wait with gentleness on the promise of this heavenly kingdom.

If we desire to possess the same hope in God as Israel demonstrated, we must continually remind ourselves of His promises. When confronted by enemies, heartache or pain, we must find our hope in God’s promise for the coming kingdom of Heaven. Furthermore, we must do so with a spirit of gentleness. God alone should be our defender and our shelter. When we act outside of a gentle spirit in response to the situations around us, we are demonstrating our lack of faith in the promises of God.

I encourage you not to forget Jesus’ promise of that coming kingdom today. It is this hope alone that will allow you to demonstrate God’s gentleness over your own bitterness and anger.

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Blessed Are The Gentle :: Deeper Devotion