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Mar.17.05: Light for the Day - "God's
Gentleness"
-- Isaiah 40:10,11
10 Yes, the Sovereign LORD is coming in all His glorious power. He will rule with awesome
strength. See, He brings His reward with Him as He comes.
11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in
His arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.
--- LAB ---
God is often pictured as a shepherd, gently caring for and guiding
His flock. He is powerful (Isa 40:10), yet careful and gentle. He is called a shepherd (Psalm 23); the good shepherd (John
10:11, 14); the great Shepherd (Hebrews 13:20); and the head Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4). Note that
the shepherd is caring for the most defenseless members of his society: children and those caring
for them. This reinforces the prophetic theme that the truly powerful nation is not the one with a
strong military, but rather the one that relies on God’s caring strength.
-- Psalms 18:35
You have given me the shield of Your salvation.
Your right hand supports me;
Your gentleness has made me great.
-- John 10:11,14
11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down
His life for the sheep.
14 "I am the good shepherd; I know My sheep and My sheep know me.
-- Psalm 23 "The LORD is my shepherd"
1 A psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters,
3 He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are
with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of My enemies. You anoint my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow Me all the days of My life, and I will dwell in the house
of the LORD forever.
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-- Matthew 11:28-30
28 Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will
give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will
find rest for your souls.
30 For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light."
--- LAB ---
A yoke is a heavy wooden harness that fits over the shoulders of an ox or oxen. It is attached to
a piece of equipment the oxen are to pull. A person may be carrying heavy burdens of
(1) sin,
(2) excessive demands of religious leaders (Mt 23:4; Acts 15:10),
(3) oppression and persecution, or
(4) weariness in the search for God.
Jesus frees people from all these burdens. The rest that Jesus promises is love, healing, and
peace with God, not the end of all labor. A relationship with God changes meaningless,
wearisome toil into spiritual productivity and purpose.
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-- Galatians 5:22,23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
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-- 1 Thessalonians 2:6,7
6 We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. As apostles of Christ
we could have been a burden to you,
7 but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children.
---- LAB ---
Gentleness is often overlooked as a personal trait in our society. Power and assertiveness gain
more respect, even though no one likes to be bullied. Gentleness is love in action
— being considerate, meeting the needs of others, allowing time for the other person to talk, and being
willing to learn. It is an essential trait for both men and women. Maintain a
gentle attitude in your
relationships with others.
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-- Proverbs 15:1
A gentle answer turns away wrath,
but harsh words stir up anger.
--- LAB ---
Have you ever tried to argue in a whisper? It is equally hard to argue with someone who insists on
answering gently. On the other hand, a rising voice and harsh words almost always trigger an angry response.
To turn away wrath and seek peace, choose gentle words.
-- Proverbs 15:4
Gentle words bring life and health;
a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.
-- Jeremiah 10:24
So correct me, LORD, but please be gentle.
Do not correct me in anger, for I would die.
-- Matthew 5:5
God blesses those who are gentle and lowly,
For the whole earth will belong to them.
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-- Philippians 4:4-7
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your
minds in Christ Jesus.
-- Colossians 3:12-17
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with
compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.
Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to
peace. And be thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all
wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
-- 1 Peter 3:15-17
15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to
everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with
gentleness and respect,
16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior
in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
17 It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
-- Ephesians 4:1--7
1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have
received.
2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
4 There is one body and one
Spirit— just as you were called to one hope when you were
called—
5 one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism;
6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.
-- James 3:15-17
15 For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and motivated by the Devil.
16 For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every kind of evil.
17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure. It is also peace loving,
gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no partiality and is always sincere.
-- 1 Timothy 6:11
11 But you, Timothy, belong to God; so run from all these evil things, and follow what is right
and good. Pursue a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.
-- 1 Corinthians 4:21
What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a
gentle spirit?
-- 2 Corinthians 10:
1 Now I, Paul, plead with you. I plead with the gentleness and kindness that Christ himself
would use, even though some of you say I am bold in my letters but timid in person.
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