As far apart as the East is from the West

Isaiah 29:17-24

Isaiah begins in verse 17 telling the people of Judah that in a little while Lebanon known for its forest of trees will be turned into a fruitful field.  Something wonderful is taking place, earlier in the chapter Isaiah had proclaimed that even though they could see they were blind, and even though they could hear they were deaf to the things of God.  Now in verse 18-19, those who were deaf will hear and the blind will see, and we have no understanding of the time line between these two happenings.  But this we do know about God, in verse 10 this is recorded; “For the Lord has poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes (the prophets), and covered your heads (the seers).  And sometime in the future we see God reversing this action.

Yet we should read and ponder who is going to obtain fresh joy in the Lord.  The meek are the ones who will find this joy, so surely as Christian parents, teachers, pastors, and priest we are teaching the value of meekness to the next generation?   Wrong, for our culture sees meekness as the timid, the docile, the weak, and we want our children to be strong, assertive, in control, street smart.

As parents who are followers of Christ, it would be wise to see what God the Father told us about Moses, a man who was greatly used by God.  Numbers 12:3,  “Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people on the face of the earth.”   As a follower of Christ, the word of Jesus should be all you need to change the culture of your home, for this is what Jesus said about Himself; “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.”  (Matthew 11:29)  For those with a PhD, Jesus is referring to being meek, and meekness is not weakness. 
How many sermons have been preached on the beatitudes and Matthew 5:5 is key, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”  In the hall way of our home we have the fruits of the Spirit on a framed plaque, as a reminder to us and all who enter of what is required to live victoriously on planet earth.  Do you know that meekness is one of the fruits of the Spirit, it’s found in Galatians 5:22-23.  

You and I understand that pride and meekness are as far apart as the East is from the West, and we find great advice in Proverbs 16:18-19, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.  It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud.”  God’s cure for pride and the nature that pride generates, such as egotism, arrogance, and putting self above all else, is meekness and being humble before God and man.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice