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SHEVAT 8

The Fruit of Meekness

 

 “But the fruit of the Spirit is … MEEKNESS” (Gal 5:22-23 KJV, emphasis mine)

 

It has been several decades since I asked Abba Yahweh for understanding concerning the ‘fruit of meekness’, and it was this event He reminded me of.  This took place almost 40 years ago, and it still brings tears to my eyes when I recall the incident …

 

It was on a winter’s day, and I had been observing a team of two extremely well-trained draft horses. 

 

(In my part of the United States, horses are occasionally still used on ranches to feed hay to livestock in the winter, through deep snow.  The hay is stacked on a large sled, and pulled by horses, from 2 to as many as 8.  As the sled is pulled through the loose livestock, the ranchers throw the hay off the sled to feed their animals.)

 

This particular team of horses had obviously been paired together often and had been over this same route to feed many times – they knew when to turn, which way to turn, whether to the right or left, when to stop, when to go, and when to stand quietly and wait.  Never did I see the handler touch the lines, though they were looped around a part of the frame of the big sled that all the hay was stacked on.  Never did I hear him yell, or scream abusive language, to these gentle giant horses; a simple “whoa”, or “gee”, or “haw” (signaling stop, turn to right, or to the left) was all that was heard.

 

When all the hay had been fed off the big sled, and the team had returned to the barnyard, they stood quietly, waiting for the handler to unhook the sled, and drive them off, that they too might receive their feed.  It was then, as the two horses were standing quietly, that a small toddler exploded out from the barn, and ran in between the horses’ front legs.  The child was not even knee high to the two big horses, yet as I stood watching, holding my breath, the one horse reached down, and very gently, pushed the child back out of the way with his nose.  “This”, Abba Yahweh spoke into my spirit, “is the definition of meekness.  Great strength, under MY gentle, yet firm, control.”

 

“Come to Me, all you who labour and are burdened, and I shall give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am MEEK AND HUMBLE IN HEART, and you shall find rest for your beings.”  (Mat 11:28-29, emphasis mine)

 

“But the meek will inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.”  (Ps 37:11 CJB)

 

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