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The Meek - Matt 5:5
I first got acquainted with the word ‘Meek’ in the song, ‘Gentle Jesus meek and mild’, in my childhood and youth and associated being meek with our Lord Jesus Christ. My concept of the word had also included our Lord Jesus being meek because he was born in a stable. I saw sheep as meek because of their gentleness in comparison to the stubbornness of goats! Being ‘Meek’ is a word that means so many things such as humility, patience, self-control and gentleness. Nevertheless, for Christians, being meek is an evidence of the presence the Fruit of the Holy Spirit. Being meek in the Christian context is often a misunderstood concept. It is far from being just a quality that can be seen outwardly in a person exhibiting humility, gentleness or patience. These are definitely desirable for Christians in their everyday walk with God and with their fellow humans in the world. Yet, in Gods eyes, it is much more than this! As Christians, we look to God’s Word for wisdom to guide our knowledge and enable us aspire to become like our Lord Jesus Christ, our model. Matthew 5:5 says, ‘Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.’[NJKV] So, it is a blessing that will bless our lives and our inheritance is great. Let’s now start from the Old Testament to see what God reveals about being meek. In Numbers 12:3 –“Moses was a humble man, more humble than anyone else on Earth”. Moses birth circumstances differ poles apart from our Lord Jesus. He was brought up in a palace as a prince yet God calls him the meekest man on earth and chose him to lead His people. He spoke to Moses face to face and showed him His form!! God punished his siblings for speaking against Moses in Numbers 12:8. Being meek has to do with a quality only God can see in our heart. Moses as a person and leader always chose to intercede for the Israelites even when under pressure and provocation. He could have instead, for example, allowed God to punish the Israelites when they had pushed Moses beyond his patience and endurance. He chose not to be vindictive. It is very easy for us as humans to want instant justice, revenge or even retaliation to those who wrong us. So, From Moses, we see that he had the ‘power’ to do get even with the Israelites but didn’t. This is meekness. In the New Testament, in Matthew26: 53, when our Lord Jesus was arrested and one of his disciples cut off the soldier’s ear, He put it back and said, “ …Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and He will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? And on the cross, after all the humiliation, torture, suffering and finally being crucified, our Lord Jesus on the cross spoke to God and said in Luke 23:34, “ Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” I can imagine in the spiritual realm, our God wanting to destroy those soldiers in some way but our Lord Jesus interceded. This is meekness. Finally coming to what our Lord Jesus said about the meek inheriting the earth, what does He mean? God created and owns the earth. He gifts it to those who have chosen not to assert themselves over others for personal gain, for their inheritance –[ something you don’t have to work for]. They will be blessed with good health, joy, love, peace and everything they will need. No matter how chaotic our world is, they are assured of the Father’s good plans for them. So dear sisters in Christ, let the words in Philippians 2:5 -8 guide us “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus, who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God…and became obedient to death…” I pray that God will exalt you as you seek to be meek by His grace. Amen. Olusola Sophia Anyanwu is a novelist, poet and writes Christian fiction. She is a member of the Association of Christian Writers. Find out more about her at: www.olusolasophiaanyanwuauthor.com
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WHAT WOULD DECLUTERING AS A WRITER LOOK LIKE???
What in the world does that mean you might ask? I gave this thought, got out a pen and wrote out all my commitments, achievements and responsibilities as a writer in 2022. This is what it looked like:
In any case, it is good to look back over your goals achieved and progress in the last year to help you plan better in the next year! I pray that God will continue to meet all our needs according to the glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Amen – Philippians 4:19 What will they tell you? By Olusola Sophia Anyanwu
I was a Sunday school teacher at my church in Nigeria and in my current church. It was fun getting the kids to recite from memory all the books of the Old Testament or the New Testament. Other times, they were given scripture verses to memorise and recite. There were occasions for quiz to test their knowledge on Bible characters and what they were associated with. Sometimes, the children were asked to write A to Z of Bible characters or to say them alphabetically. It was a fun way to teach children concepts about God and His Word on issues dealing with faith, truth, courage, love, forgiveness, etc. One that drew lots of applause was their wearing the armour of God costume and telling what each part of their garment represented. Here, I have presented some Bible characters in front of you. They all have something to tell us to reflect on: Abraham: “If I had known, I would not have listened to Sarah and taken her maid, Hagar, as my concubine. Today my descendants through Isaac and Ishmael are always in conflict. I pray for their peace. As a Father of Faith, it was extremely challenging and stressful waiting for God’s promise of a child without yielding to temptation to give up. In my old age, God gave me a child at last! So, never give up. Please keep up the faith!” Hagar - “Who would believe my story? From a maid to the concubine of my master, Abraham!!His God appeared to me and comforted and rescued my son, Ishmael and I when we are in danger of death!! God blessed me! Today we are part of Abraham’s family and share in God’s mercy and blessings. El Roi is the God who sees. Speak to Him! He sees you. Amen.” Tabitha - “I was a follower of Jesus, did many good things and acts of kindness but I became ill and died. Apostle Peter used the name of our Lord Jesus to raise me back to life!’ What can I say? I expected to get better and not die because I prayed. Thank God that there is power in the name of Jesus. Use the name Jesus in your prayers. God bless you.” Zacchaeus – “You all know me as the short man climbing a tree! All my years, I hated being short and used it to vent my anger on people. When Lord Jesus called me by my name, I WAS SHOCKED!!He knows my name!! Trust me, I thought I would ask for a miracle to grow taller when he came to my house. After His meal with me, it didn’t matter anymore how I looked. It didn’t matter whether I was rich or poor. I was just happy to be one of His followers. It was a life change for me in my character and state of mind. I will tell you that if you follow Jesus, worldly things will not matter much to you. Thank you.” God: “Call upon me in the day of trouble. I will deliver you and you shall glorify Me.”- Psalm 50:15 When people see your name or your book, what do they associate you with? Do you have characters whose lives in your story testify of God’s power, goodness and love? It’s your turn to interview any character below and share what they tell you! Have fun! Ananias, Adam, Boaz, Bathsheba, Cain, Caleb, David, Daniel, Delilah, Elizabeth, Esther, Felix, Festus, Goliath, Gabriel, Hosea, Isaiah, Ishmael, Jephthah, Jonah, Keturah, Lazarus, Mary, Mordechai, Naaman, Nathaniel, Othniel, Peter, Paul, Q -, Ruth, Rachel, Solomon, U -Vashti, W -, X -, Yeshua, Yahweh, Zechariah. |
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July 2024
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