Read
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
Matthew 5:5
Reflect
It may be hard to believe, but Sesame Street was popular even when I was a kid. One of the songs I remember has stayed with me all these years:
One of these things is not like the others,
One of these things just doesn’t belong.
Can you tell which thing is not like the others
By the time I finish my song?
So, can you tell which thing doesn’t belong?
- Wealth
- Riches
- Power
- Poverty
Too easy? OK, how about this?
- Kings
- Queens
- Thrones
- Submissiveness
In our world, it’s usually not hard to spot what doesn’t belong. We’re trained to recognize power, success, and dominance—and to dismiss anything that looks like weakness or lack. But in God’s kingdom, our instincts often betray us.
Just read the Sermon on the Mount and you’ll see it clearly. Jesus says that the poor inherit God’s kingdom. He isn’t dismissing physical poverty, but He is pointing to something deeper: spiritual poverty. Knowing that, apart from God, we have nothing. When we recognize how empty we are in ourselves, we’re finally open to letting God take control.
The same is true of being “meek.” Biblical meekness isn’t weakness. It’s strength willingly placed under God’s authority. In our world, the aggressive and self-assertive tend to seize control. But Jesus says the ones who submit to Him—the meek—are the ones who will inherit the earth when He returns.
Trying to make sense of God’s kingdom using only human logic will almost always lead us to the wrong conclusions. But when we begin to see things through God’s eyes, His wisdom comes into focus. So when following God feels confusing, stop striving to make it make sense—and start praying for the humility to see through His lens.
Reflection copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt.
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
