Meek and Lowly, 2026
Matthew 11:28-30: "Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Jesus calls all of us who are feeling weighed down by stress, grief and sorrow to come to Him, and He will give rest. Jesus asks us to walk alongside Him, taking up His yoke, walking side by side with Him, instead of trying to carry all of life's heavy problems alone, and learn from His character, doing His will for our lives. Jesus offers us His gentle heart when we are grieved with stress and sorrow; He is not harsh, easily angered, or eager to punish. His posture is approachable and tender. He draws near to the weak, the weary, and the broken rather than pushing them away, and He carries our burdens, ultimately paying the full price for them on the cross.
Psalm 37:11: "But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace."
We must trust in the work of God, with a humble, gentle heart that does not lean on our own understanding or retaliate. God promises that eternal life belongs to those who stay faithful to God, rather than those who use violence or deceit to get ahead as promised by Jesus in Matthew 5:5.
Ephesians 4:1-3: "I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."
We must be free from pride, putting the needs of others first instead of constantly seeking the spotlight, kind and tender in our manner, choosing not to use harsh words or force, and remaining calm, even when things do not go our way. Conducting ourselves eagerly with love for one another, which finds expression in wise actions that benefit others and show high respect and worship for God.
Colossians 3:11-13: "Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive."
Our hearts must be set apart from the world, knowing that we are deeply loved by God as His chosen children, showing deep sympathy for those that are suffering with a strong desire to help ease their pain, caring for others with good, intentional actions and free from pride, choosing to submit to the authority and leadership of God rather than to prove oneself, staying calm when things do not go according to plan, forgiving others as the Lord has forgiven us.
Titus 3:4-7: "But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life."
The Lord God has a deep sympathy for us, as He deeply loves and cares for us in our sufferings and saved us through His sacrifice on the cross, choosing to help us out of our deep suffering by the washing and cleansing of our Spirit through the Holy Spirit, even when it was in His right to punish us. God declares us innocent and pure before His eyes when we repent, given as an unearned gift, so that we may have the hope of eternal life.
1 Peter 3:3-4: "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewellery or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight."
We should fix our eyes on washing and cleansing our Spirits in the Word, prayer and worship to the Lord who will create within us a gentle and lowly Spirit, which is worthy in God's sight rather than in temporary beauty and materialism which fades.
James 4:10: "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you."
We are called to be humble before God, recognising His supreme holiness and authority while acknowledging our own human limits, faults, and complete dependence on His grace for eternal life. It is an attitude of surrender, letting go of pride, casting all of our anxieties and cares on Him (1 Peter 5:6-7), trusting His will above our own.
Micah 6:8: "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"
The only thing that the Lord requires of us to walk with Him is that we recognise his supreme authority, recognising our own limits and dependence on Him for our lives, and to love being generous, helpful, and caring toward others through intentional, good actions treating others with love in the same manner that we received love from Christ.
Psalm 131:1-3: "O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvellous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.
Our focus must be directed toward God rather than ourselves or our circumstances. We must remain humble before God, recognising His sovereignty, refusing to exalt ourselves, and when we do recieve God's grace in our lives, we do not become too proud and presumptuous. We must recognise the limitations of our will before that of God's sovereign power, and refuse to become consumed with matters beyond our understanding or control. Instead of pride, striving, and restless thoughts, we must intentionally settle our inner being by remaining in the Lord's presence. Just like a child who can simply rest with their mother without always demanding something from her, we should look to have full contentment, security, dependence, and peacefulness in our hearts with the presence of God. The answer to pride, anxiety, striving, and the burden of trying to understand everything is not hopelessness but hope in God, and is to become a continual posture of life.
The image of two white ducks resting quietly together in the shade of a rose bed reminds us of the peaceful posture God calls us to have before Him. The ducks are not striving, competing, or trying to control what surrounds them, they simply rest in the shelter provided for them. In the same way, Jesus invites us, “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” We are often tempted to carry the weight of our circumstances, worry about what tomorrow may bring, or occupy our minds with things that are “too great and too marvellous” for us, but Psalm 131 teaches us to calm and quiet our souls and become like a weaned child resting peacefully with its mother. The shade can remind us of God's shelter and protection, while the roses surrounding the ducks can remind us that His presence can be beautiful even in the midst of a world that contains difficulties, sorrow, and uncertainty. The two ducks resting together can also remind us that we are not called to walk through life completely alone. We are called to bear with one another in love, showing kindness, gentleness, patience, and compassion. Their white appearance can serve as a simple reminder of the cleansing and renewal God gives through His mercy and the work of the Holy Spirit, not that outward appearance makes us righteous, but that God desires to cultivate an “unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit” within us. The picture therefore invites us to pause and ask:
- Am I striving when God is inviting me to rest?
- Am I trying to control what belongs in His hands?
- Am I allowing anxiety to disturb the quietness of my soul?
Heavenly Father,
thank You for revealing Yourself to us through Jesus Christ, who is gentle and lowly in heart. Thank You for inviting us to come to You when we are weary, burdened, grieving, anxious, and overwhelmed, and for promising that You will give rest to our souls.
Lord, teach us to take Your yoke upon us and learn from You. Help us to walk closely beside You rather than trying to carry the burdens of life in our own strength. Give us humble hearts that do not seek to exalt ourselves, prove ourselves, or depend upon our own understanding.
Help us recognise Your supreme authority, and sovereignty. We trust You with the things that are too great and too marvellous for us to understand or control. When our minds are restless, and our hearts are anxious, please calm and quiet our souls like a weaned child resting safely with its mother.
Teach us to be content in Your presence, trusting that You are with us even when circumstances do not change and when we cannot see what You are doing. Create within us compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, gentleness, and a willingness to bear with and forgive others as Christ has forgiven us. Keep us from pride, harshness, anger, retaliation, selfish ambition, and the desire for recognition.
Help us to choose what is good, to act justly, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with You each day. Thank You that You did not save us because of our own righteousness, but because of Your mercy and grace, and that through Jesus Christ You have given us forgiveness, renewal by the Holy Spirit, and the hope of eternal life.
Help us to place our anxieties and cares into Your hands because You care for us. May our greatest desire not be to control our circumstances or receive everything we want, but simply to know You, remain near to You, and trust You.
Teach our souls to say, “Hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.”
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
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