THE MEEKNESS DILEMMA

 

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 “Like a powerful stallion tamed by his handler for great feats of purpose, may you and I be tamed by the hand of God’s sufficient grace and remain true to the plans he has for our lives.”

Psalm 37:11
But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace. 

Jesus stood to his feet on the hillside that provided one of the natural amphitheatres on the banks of Lake Tiberias. He was surrounded by a great crowd. He began his famous discourse known as the Beatitudes. A few minutes into his sermon he said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” The Greek word for meek in Matthew 5:5 is praus. This word can also be used to describe an animal that has been domesticated; an animal that has learned to accept control, such as the taming of a wild stallion.

A horse is a mighty creature. With one kick it could kill a man. It has the power to run fast, draw a mighty load or lead an army into battle. Yet, when a stallion is tamed and trained it becomes gentle and submissive. Thus, the meaning of meekness.

Saul had a great future. He was a Pharisee, a student of the great rabbi, Gamaliel. He was a Hebrew of Hebrews. As to the law, a Pharisee, as to zeal, a persecutor of the church, as to righteousness, blameless. When he converted to Christianity, he became the great apostle, Paul. Paul describes how he was once caught up to the third heaven – into paradise – and heard things that cannot be told. He became a great leader, a church planter and a scribe of scripture. Yet Paul said, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” He explains how Jesus told him that God’s grace was sufficient for him and he said, “For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Paul was a mighty stallion tamed by the meekness of submission to Christ.

The concept of meekness is something that Christians have always battled to decipher. But meekness is nothing more than humble dependence on the grace of God. Grace is God’s doing. Grace empowers you to do God’s bidding. God’s grace is sufficient to turn your weakness into meekness, for his glory. Like a powerful stallion tamed by his handler for great feats of purpose, may you and I be tamed by the hand of God’s sufficient grace and remain true to the plans he has for our lives. And meekness has great reward: “The meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.”

God-tracking is walking in meekness

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Matthew 5:5
Philippians 3:3-11
Jeremiah 29:11

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DON’T GIVE UP, LOOK UP & PRAY

Help me to submit to your mighty hand to control and guide my life that I may be humbly useful and productive for your kingdom

“O Lord, I have always battled to be meek. I realise now that meekness is not weakness. A mighty stallion is not a weak animal but, when he is tamed, he becomes submissive and meek. Help me to let go of my wild side. I step back from my pride. I turn away from arrogance. Help me to submit to your mighty hand to control and guide my life that I may be humbly useful and productive for your kingdom. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.”

If you prayed that prayer today, please email me - dudley@godtracker.co.uk

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What is GodTracker?
GodTracker is a weekly e-mail devotional, written by Dudley Anderson, based on the premise that God has a plan for our lives. His Word calls us to seek his plan by acknowledging him in all our ways and by tracking his purposes, in faith.

Listen to GodTracker podcasts by Dudley Anderson at,
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GOD-TRACKING IS HAVING FAITH IN GOD’S PLANS, EVEN THROUGH SHIPWRECK

GodTracker 653
The e-devotional helping to keep you on-track with God’s plans for your life
GodTracker is published by Sure Reality Media at surereality.net

20 October 2017

GOD-TRACKING IS HAVING FAITH IN GOD’S PLANS, EVEN THROUGH SHIPWRECK

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope

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The night was very dark. The wind howled through torn rigging like a ravenous wolf. Lashing rain combined with smashing white waters, flooded the deck. The crew and prisoners on board this vessel had been lashed by a ferocious storm at sea for weeks. They were exhausted and feared certain death. Paul, a prisoner aboard the ship said, “Men, I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’”

True to his Word, God preserved all their lives. The ship ran aground near Malta, but all on board were saved. When they landed, the people of the island welcomed them warmly. While making a fire, Paul was bitten by a viper, but when he failed to die the islanders thought he was a god. Paul hastily corrected their perception, telling them about the power God to save, deliver and heal, through Jesus Christ. The result was a great revival on Malta. The whole island turned to Jesus and many were healed of their infirmities. Nearly 2,000 years later, the island of Malta still enjoys a strong Christian influence.

So often I hear people say that their lives have been shipwrecked by circumstances beyond their control. I think we can safely say that Paul’s shipwreck, as described above, was beyond his control. Yet, God used the circumstances of this apparent disaster to bring many, many into his kingdom and performed miracles of healing, to boot. I think we can safely say that the event of Paul’s shipwreck was well within God’s plan for the apostle’s life.

Acknowledge God in all your ways and he will direct your life’s track. Even through the storms of looming shipwreck, God’s purposes will prevail. God knows the plans he has for you, so have faith in his designs. Keep your eyes on Christ. Look through your shipwreck experience, scorn its shame, and go on to enjoy the blessings God has in store for you. God’s plans are always for your welfare, to give you a future filled with hope.

God-tracking is having faith in God’s plans, even through shipwreck 

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Acts 27-28:10Proverbs 3:6Hebrews 12:2

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DON’T GIVE UP, LOOK UP & PRAY

Dear Lord, use the circumstances of my difficulties to bring you glory and draw people into a deeper walk with you

“Thank you Lord that my life is in your hands. I acknowledge you in every aspect of my life. And when things go awry I will continue to have faith in you to work out your perfect plans for my life. So, help me to face this looming shipwreck. I choose to keep my eyes on Jesus and his example as he looked through his cross to see himself victoriously sitting on the righthand side of God. Dear Lord, use the circumstances of my difficulties to bring you glory and draw people into a deeper walk with you. Amen.”

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What is GodTracker? 
GodTracker is a weekly e-mail devotional based on the premise that God has a plan for our lives. His word calls us to seek his will by acknowledging him in all our ways and tracking this plans in faith. Subscribe by email at http://godtracker.co.uk/index.html#subscribe

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GOD-TRACKING IS BEING RESPECTFULLY ASSERTIVE WITH GRACIOUS HUMILITY

trACker 561 The e-Devotional helping to keep you on-track
Published through www.godtracker.co.uk

20 November 2015

Dear God-tracker

1 John 2:1-2My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

God-tracking is being respectfully assertive with gracious humility

A friend once asked me why it seems Apostle Paul is being manipulative in his letter to Philemon. He showed how the apostle seemed to use his position to strongly influence Philemon to take Onesimus back. He said to me, “Is it okay to use manipulation to get a Godly outcome in a situation?” My answer, no.

We need to understand the historical and cultural context of this short epistle. Oneismus was a runaway slave. He belonged to Philemon. Culturally and historically speaking, he was Philemon’s property. The punishment for a runaway slave in Roman times was death. On his travels, Paul meets Onesimus, who becomes a Christian. Paul urges Oneimus to return to his master, but this would mean certain punishment. So Paul writes a letter to Philemon asking him to accept Onesimus back, not as a slave but as a brother. He even offers to reimburse Philemon for his losses. In his letter Paul uses strong language to forthrightly encourage Philemon to accept Oneimus back, but he does this in love. Paul is indeed, Philemon’s senior in that he is his apostolic leader. As such he encourages the slave master to unconditionally love the runaway slave and set him free. The price for his redemption would be paid by the apostle.

In his correspondence with Philemon, Paul is not being manipulative, he is being respectfully assertive. You may be facing a similar situation today, either from the standpoint of Paul or that of Philemon. It could be you are trying to cause someone else to see the truth of a situation from the position of authority. If so then follow Paul’s example of being graciously forthright and willing to sacrificial, to communicate your point. On the other hand, you may feel you are being manipulated into a decision by someone in authority over you. If so then follow Philemon’s example of graciously and respectfully weigh up their opinion, and then humbly choosing to do what you see to be right. And remember to always acknowledge the Lord in prayer, including in your relationships.

God-tracking is being respectfully assertive with gracious humility

Blessings

Dudley

It’s all in the Book…Philemon 1

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Don’t Give Up, Look Up!

Thank you, O Lord, for your assertive grace and love to me

Pray“Dear Lord, I’m in a similar position today. Forgive me for being manipulative in my relationships with others and help me to humbly accept Godly advice, with grace. Thank you for the story of Philemon and Onesimus. I do see, too, that there is a deeper meaning in this epistle: that of your grace shown to me through Jesus Christ. I’m like Onesimus and you are like Philemon. Paul is like Jesus. I have run away from your righteousness and sinned. Therefore, you, O God, have every reason to condemn me to death for my sin. But Jesus has become my intermediary – he is the one who is interceding with you to graciously accept me back. And he has paid the price for my freedom in his blood. Thank you, O Lord, for your assertive grace and love to me. Amen.”

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What is trACker? GodTracker and trACker owe their origins to an international Christian radio programme produced by Dudley Anderson called, On Track. Although On Track went off-air in 2005, trACker has continued to help people to track God's plans and purposes for their lives since July 2003.

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