"...Thy gentleness hath made me great." ~Psalm 18:35
Some Bible versions translate this word "gentleness" as humility, others as condescension, or help. Each of these words gives us a different picture of how God makes us great.
Humility. One of the key principles that Jesus taught about His kingdom is that those who are the least will be the greatest; the meek (or humble) will inherit the earth. (See Matt. 11:11; 5:5.) Meekness/gentleness is one of the fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Gal. 5:22-23. It's against our human nature to be gentle and meek; that's why Prov. 16:32 says, "He that ruleth his spirit [is greater] than he that taketh a city." But when we allow the Spirit of Jesus, the King of the universe, to fill us and cultivate His attributes in us, we partake in His greatness.
Condescension. By condescending from the throne of the universe to become a man and suffer and die for our sins, Jesus demonstrated the ultimate humility, so that we could be called the sons and daughters of God. What a great, undeserved honor! This greatness comes from nothing in ourselves; it is solely the gift of God, made possible through His condescension.
Help. The help that God offers us in our daily battle against temptation and sin is what makes it possible for us to be overcomers and reign with God in His throne. (See 2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 20:4, 6.)
Lord, thank You for Your gift of gentleness, and for condescending to this earth so I can have salvation. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit and cultivate Your gentleness in me, so I can be like You and spend eternity with You. I don't want the world's greatness; I want Your greatness.
