“The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.” (Psalm 25:9)
The Father led the Son in all things because the Son was meek and lowly of heart. Without meekness there is no judgment in our goings because our own mind and feelings dominate us. Scripture calls us to “seek meekness,” and characterizes the “meek of the earth” as those “which have wrought His judgment.” (Zephaniah 2:3) Before we can be taught anything of the Father we must learn of the Son.
Meekness is a way of life. It alone guarantees that we will always be instructed in the way that God would have us to go. Jesus had the continuous instruction of the Father in His life. He was given the “tongue of the learned” because His ear was wakened “morning by morning” to hear. (Isa. 50:4)
Self-will is the opposite of meekness. The judgment of Jesus was just because He sought the Father’s will and not His own (John 5:30). Meekness positioned Him to hear from above, and come to right conclusions and wise decisions. He was never off and running, doing His own thing and speaking His own words. He was the most unself-confident person who ever lived. He relied continually upon His Father for wisdom, knowledge, counsel, and understanding. His day did not begin with a troubled heart and frantic activity, but an ear to the Father. He did not carry His own burden, but all His responsibility in each day came from the Father. Because of this, He was a man of peace like none other.
Moses prophesied of “another prophet” who would be “like him.” How did scripture describe Moses? “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.” (Numbers 12:3) The meekness of Moses was what enabled him to be taught so specifically by God. When it came to his actions he said, “I have not done them of mine own mind.” (Numbers 16:28) It does not matter whether we are believers who claim to be filled with the Spirit, without meekness we will still be walking in our mind. Meekness is the pre-condition to be rightly led of God.
Of all the character qualities He could have mentioned, Jesus described Himself as meek. He said, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” (Matthew 11:29) It is folly to think we will be led into all truth by the Holy Spirit when we have not first come to Jesus and learned to walk as He walked, in all meekness and lowliness of heart. Meekness is a fruit of Christ’s Spirit that every believer must be committed to growing in. We will not be taught of God without meekness. To the end that we would have God’s mind concerning all the many things we need wisdom for, the Holy Spirit would develop greater and greater meekness in us.
Don’t be concerned that others don’t understand the decisions you make or the road you travel. Let your one concern be that you are following your Master’s example and walking in continual meekness and lowliness of heart. To be led into all truth we must first be led into meekness.
Oh how God prizes meekness in His people! A “meek and quiet spirit” is “of great price” in the sight of God. (1 Peter 3:4) Let us value what God values. Let us be the people He wants us to be. In praying to be more like Jesus, we are praying for more meekness in our life. If we would find a greater conformity to our Master, we must seek meekness.