DRAWING NEAR
April 9
Inheriting the Earth
"Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth"
(Matt. 5:5).
God said to Adam and Eve, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the
earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the
birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the
earth" (Gen. 1:28). But their sin cost them their sovereignty and
brought a curse upon the earth (Gen. 3:17-18).
The apostle Paul said, "The anxious longing of the creation waits
eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God . . . in hope that the
creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption"
(Rom. 8:19-21). Someday that curse will be reversed and God's people
will once again inherit the earth.
The Greek word translated "inherit" (Matt. 5:5) means "to receive an
allotted portion." The earth is the allotted portion of believers,
who will reign with the Lord when He comes in His kingdom (Rev.
20:6). That's an emphatic promise in Matthew 5:5, which literally
reads, "Blessed are the gentle, for only they shall inherit the
earth."
Many Jewish people of Christ's day thought the kingdom belonged to
the strong, proud, and defiant. But Jesus said the earth will belong
to the gentle, meek, and humble. Proud, self-righteous people don't
qualify (cf. Luke 1:46-53). Jesus said, "Unless you are converted
and become [humble and submissive] like children, you shall not enter
the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 18:3).
As a recipient of God's promises, you should be thrilled knowing that
you will inherit the earth and reign with Christ in His earthly
kingdom. Be encouraged to know that even when evil people and godless
nations seem to prosper, God is in complete control and will someday
establish His righteous kingdom on earth.
Rejoice in that assurance, and seek to be all He wants you to be
until that great day.
Suggestions for Prayer:
Thank God that all of creation will someday be freed from sin's
corrupting influences.
Praise Him for His mighty power, which will bring it all to
pass.
For Further Study:
Read 1 Corinthians 6:1-8.
What issue did Paul address? How does the future reign of
Christians apply to that issue?
Drawing Near, Copyright c 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
Genesis 3:17-18 (NKJV)
17 Then to Adam He said, "Because you have heeded the voice of your
wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying,
'You shall not eat of it': "Cursed is the ground for your sake; In
toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life.
18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you
shall eat the herb of the field.
Revelation 20:6
6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection.
Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of
God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
Luke 1:46-53
46 And Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For
behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is
His name.
50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to
generation.
51 He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in
the imagination of their hearts.
52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the
lowly.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has
sent away empty.
1 Corinthians 6:1-8
6:1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law
before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?
2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the
world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest
matters?
3 Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things
that pertain to this life?
4 If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this
life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to
judge?
5 I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man
among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his
brethren?
6 But brother goes to law against brother, and that before
unbelievers!
7 Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go
to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why
do you not rather let yourselves be cheated?
8 No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to
your brethren!
~~~
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:
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In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase1@wideopenwest.com
STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
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To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and to discover that the prisoner was you. -Alistair Begg
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