Holy Boldness

Undeterred, Daniel continued his practice and was soon arrested and thrown to the lions. Daniel did not fight but was quietly and confidently resigned to whatever God ordained for His life. God sent an angel who shut the mouths of the lions and he was rescued by the king the next morning. Those who had conspired against Daniel, in a dramatic reversal of events, were then thrown to the lions themselves. The meek are full of faith and appropriate action. They are not fighting for their own way but trusting in the governing law of God in the earth. They are obedient and expectant. They have yielded their will to the almighty and are fully anticipating a glorious result. It is for this reason that they will inherit the earth . The meek prove themselves worthy to inherit. Gaining their inheritance is a sign of the kingdom coming to the earth. I want to make one more observation about this beatitude: the meek inherit the earth… There are multitudes of believers whose hope is not for salvation in this world but in someplace called “Heaven.” I mean no disrespect towards those who are focused on life after death. But Jesus’ primary message was not about life in the “hereafter” but of the Kingdom of God manifesting tangibly upon the earth. He did not say to His church, “Hey guys, do the best you can. You shouldn’t expect much but don’t worry about it because the real deal is in another place. Just do your best.” No!!! He said the meek will inherit the earth. That’s a game-changer. Whatever could He have meant by that? King David once sighed: “I would have despaired unless I would have believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” (Psalm 27:13) The promises of God are not just referring to the afterlife but to the here and now. Too many Christians theologize about heaven but do not experience the kingdom in this real world. I am not saying that we don’t have a reward waiting for us after we die. I am only saying that if the church relegates the reward of God exclusively to the afterlife, it has missed the whole point. Our witness is to a God who invades history! The Kingdom must touch down upon the earth. Heaven coming to earth is the gospel! This was the essence of Jesus’ message, “The time is fulfilled, the Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe this good news.” (Mark 1:15) Working out the implications of such a declaration from the Son of God is what we are all pursuing. Where will one’s reward finally reside?

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