When my nephew, Brady, passed away on May 5, 1997, at 16 months of age, God showed Himself so mighty and real and present in a myriad of ways – one of which being in the words of Matthew 5:4, “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.”

You can watch my testimony video on YouTube for a deeper explanation of God’s great ministry through this great tragedy.  (My nephew’s story is told from about the 16-minute to 23-minute mark, if you don’t have time to watch the entire thing right now)

For 21 years now, Matthew 5:4 has been a very special verse for me.  But, this year, on May 5, the anniversary of Brady’s death, I decided to do a little study into Matthew 5:5 which reads, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”  Initially I didn’t see any relevance in this passage to Brady’s death, but as I continued to search and study and meditate on this verse, I’d like to share with you what I’ve found.

That word, “meek,” is the Greek word praÿs (Strong’s G4239).  It is an adjective meaning, “mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit.”  On BlueLetterBible.com they have a feature called “Outline of Biblical Usage” for many of their Greek words.

Meekness toward God is that disposition of spirit in which we accept His dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting. In the OT, the meek are those wholly relying on God rather than their own strength to defend against injustice. Thus, meekness toward evil people means knowing God is permitting the injuries they inflict, that He is using them to purify His elect, and that He will deliver His elect in His time (Isaiah 41:17, Luke 18:1-8). Gentleness or meekness is the opposite to self-assertiveness and self-interest. It stems from trust in God’s goodness and control over the situation. The gentle person is not occupied with self at all. This is a work of the Holy Spirit, not of the human will (Galatians 5:23).

God had indeed comforted my sister, in giving her a second son just one short day before her older son’s passing … and even more so by sending her His Holy Spirit to be her eternal comforter …

But, God has also given her the ability to be meek, to learn to rely wholly on Him, trusting in His perfect goodness and His control over every situation, accepting His dealings with us as good.  Praise His Name.  And Thank Him for His living and active and true and good Word.

TWIG