GENTLENESS
Scripture Reading - Psalms 18:35 KJV
Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.
In today’s vocabulary the word “gentleness” seems to be missing from many a conversation. The soft approach of “gentleness” fades in the background because so many people look toward harshness because they think that is what gets results. In the corporate world “gentleness” is not often referred to as a virtue for leadership. Yes, we see an entirely different picture of “gentleness” in God’s Holy Word, as a matter of fact this exact phrase of “thy gentleness has made me great” is also used in 2 Samuel 22:36. First the fact that God has given us His own shield to secure our salvation is mentioned in the verse we are studying today. This shield of God’s Salvation is the Awesome Name of Jesus which protects us from all the fiery darts of the wicked one. We also hear the phrase “thy right hand hath holden me up” which means God’s Power is what holds us up. God’s power is more commonly referred to as the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit was already given to each believer the second they became born-again. This additional power of God in the person of the Holy Spirit is what gives us a great advantage when dealing with trying circumstances of this life. Now we come to the third part of the verse which speaks of God’s “gentleness” making the shepherd boy David a great King in the earth. We know this to be true because the fame of King David is still known today throughout the world. One could ask, “How can gentleness make a person great?” It can be answered in numerous ways, for one God’s humbleness to come down to our sinful level on earth has exalted us the heights of Heaven as Beloved Children of God. Also, God’s dealings with man as a kind nurturing Father has allowed us to know Him better as children which lets us see glimpses of greatness in a meaningful (personal) way. The Lord’s approach to helping us is by using softness and patience which breeds in us an openness to love, instead of fear or intimidation. Understanding and properly responding to God’s Love is the chief ingredient to being great. “Gentleness” can be viewed as taking the lower position to leave open the higher position for someone else. This “gentleness of God” means that He condescended to His cross on earth so that we could ascend to His throne in Heaven. Today we (ihlcc) do hope that you consider the fruit of “gentleness” in your life and measure it out to others on a consistent basis. It is the application of “God’s gentleness” that makes other people feel great and it is this same “gentleness” that will help others to be great in Christ Jesus. Remember God is gentle by nature and since we have His nature inside of us we can choose be gentle to all mankind, thus doing our part to glorifying God in the earth. Amen!