LifeLink Devotions for Tuesday, March 10, 2026

Twice in my lifetime I have received an inheritance. Once when my father died, and once when my grandmother died. It is the second one that gave me the character growth lesson that I’m still learning.

When my parents received a small inheritance from my mom’s mother, they chose to use it to buy me and my two brothers a car. Used cars of course, but they were greatly anticipated. They did not take us with them for the purchase, knowing that we might be fussy and desire more than they could afford. In fact, they didn’t even tell us they were doing it until the cars arrived in the driveway.

One brother received a 1968 Chevy Impala Super Sport. One brother received a 1967 Ford Mustang. My car was a 1968 Chevy Bel Air that had lived it’s life as a taxicab.

You may be wondering how I responded. Well, to put into practice yesterday’s beatitude, I mourned. I was heartbroken. I took my car gift as a statement of my worth. I was sinfully jealous and disappointed. Yet as time passed, that car served me very well.

God was trying to teach me a lesson that a 18-year old wasn’t ready to learn, but since then I have started to get it. The lesson is this – Stop trying to show off and become meek. But at the time I didn’t see the lesson. After a couple of years of driving that car I took matters into my own hands and traded it for a 1969 Mustang convertible. Now I could show off my worth. But it didn’t satisfy, so I traded it for a 1968 Olds 442, all souped up and fast. But again, it was my display of power and control, not God’s.

Today, even though I still struggle with meekness, the words of Jesus make much more sense.

Matthew 5:5  “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

Meekness is defined as power under control.” Like a horse that is bridled by a rider. The horse has much more power than the rider, but he submits that power to the direction and control of the rider. That’s how Jesus is described as well – He was meek and lowly. He had infinite power, but He brought it under the control of the Father’s will and purpose.

And the promise for all of us who choose to relinquish our power and control to the Father is that we will inherit everything that we have been spending our energy on. The whole earth will be ours when Jesus returns to reign as King. But only for those who give up their power to try to achieve everything in their own strength.

Meekness is not weakness. It is the infinite strength of Jesus in us but fully under His control and not ours. Is that how you are prepared to live?

Pastor John