Daily Devotional
Are You Willing to Submit to God?

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

Matthew 5:5


Ponder This

What is meekness? It is not weakness. Jesus said in Matthew 11:29 “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart” (KJV). Jesus was not weak, so we know it cannot mean weakness.

When a horse has been domesticated, it has been trained so a rider can sit on its back or it can pull a plow. The term for this change is the horse has been meeked. When this process happens, the horse yields to the rider; it yields to the yoke. That's what meekness is—strength under control, a compliant spirit. The Beatitudes were given in a specific order. First, blessed are the poor in spirit. That shows our condition. We recognize we are spiritually bankrupt. Then, blessed are they who mourn. After we understand our condition comes contrition. We have to say “Oh God, have mercy on me! I see what I am; I weep over it; and I truly repent of it.” And then after condition and contrition, comes the issue of control. I place myself under the Lord’s control. I am meek; not weak. I have a new master.

  • How have you sought to submit to the Lord’s control in your life?
  • Why do we resist meekness?

Practice This

Discuss meekness with a brother or sister in Christ. Share some areas in which you need to submit control to God.

FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY

Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster

WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS

I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.

Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”