The Most Overlooked Promise of the Bible: Matthew 5.5
One of the most overlooked promises in the Bible is the promise that the “meek shall inherit the earth.” It’s too incredible of an idea to ponder the implications of inheriting the earth.
It is still important, however, that we understand what makes up one of the most critical phrases in the entire Bible. This phrase, that God delights in meekness to the extent that He would give the planet to the man or woman who walks in it, then becomes our window into an otherworldly value system. It punctuates what our Father in heaven believes is the most critical thing to have on a “global leadership” resume. What qualifies a man to rule before the Sovereign King of the Universe? What makes us worthy to receive such an incredible gift from Him?
The critical point that some may miss is that God is more than an initiator in the events and lives of the peoples of the earth. Many have been content to leave their life in God at that, always waiting for God to do His part - yet never sure why He seemingly does not and growing bitter and disillusioned over the years in the waiting. There is much delay in the leadership of God, but much of their waiting for God stems from the reality that God is waiting for them. God is both initiator and, in His stunning humility and tenderness towards us, He dignifies our lives by also acting as a responder. He does not respond to a "passive waiting" for something to happen, He responds to an aggressive, "spiritually violent" (Matt. 11:12) posture of waiting. This kind of waiting looks like a believer that is fully given to the day in, day out fight to obey the will of God “until”.
He qualifies us, but at the same time we have to value this attitude of the heart and ask Him for help to grow in it.
In the waiting, I am ever seeking to cultivate. My heart is like a garden. Only God can make it grow, but I can in the meantime care for it by feeding it the nutrients it needs to stay healthy. So I “feed” on the word of God (Job 23:12); but Jesus said that proper diet for the heart included obedience as well (Jn. 4:34) - “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me…” The lifestyle embodied by the Sermon on the Mount is the necessary diet of the believer that cultivates the heart attitudes that the Father longs for us to lay hold of. To those who honor God by walking out His will, He is a responder who will hear the cry of our hearts and give us what we seek (Matt. 7:7). We have not because we ask not (Jas. 4:2).