November 2, 2011

A LIFE-CHANGING TRUTH

Micah 4

Lindsey Atchley
Wednesday's Devo

November 2, 2011

Wednesday's Devo

November 2, 2011

Central Truth

The truth isn't how you feel or what you chase. The truth is the truth. And at some point, you have to decide what you are going to do about it.

Key Verse | Micah 4:1

And it will come about in the last days
That the mountain of the house of the LORD
Will be established as the chief of the mountains.
It will be raised above the hills,
And the peoples will stream to it.
(Micah 4:1)

Micah 4

The Mountain of the LORD

It shall come to pass in the latter days
    that the mountain of the house of the LORD
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
    and it shall be lifted up above the hills;
and peoples shall flow to it,
    and many nations shall come, and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
    to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
    and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth the law, 1 4:2 Or teaching
    and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between many peoples,
    and shall decide disputes for strong nations far away;
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
    and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
    neither shall they learn war anymore;
but they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree,
    and no one shall make them afraid,
    for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken.
For all the peoples walk
    each in the name of its god,
but we will walk in the name of the LORD our God
    forever and ever.

The LORD Shall Rescue Zion

In that day, declares the LORD,
    I will assemble the lame
and gather those who have been driven away
    and those whom I have afflicted;
and the lame I will make the remnant,
    and those who were cast off, a strong nation;
and the LORD will reign over them in Mount Zion
    from this time forth and forevermore.

And you, O tower of the flock,
    hill of the daughter of Zion,
to you shall it come,
    the former dominion shall come,
    kingship for the daughter of Jerusalem.

Now why do you cry aloud?
    Is there no king in you?
Has your counselor perished,
    that pain seized you like a woman in labor?
10  Writhe and groan, 2 4:10 Or push O daughter of Zion,
    like a woman in labor,
for now you shall go out from the city
    and dwell in the open country;
    you shall go to Babylon.
There you shall be rescued;
    there the LORD will redeem you
    from the hand of your enemies.

11  Now many nations
    are assembled against you,
saying, “Let her be defiled,
    and let our eyes gaze upon Zion.”
12  But they do not know
    the thoughts of the LORD;
they do not understand his plan,
    that he has gathered them as sheaves to the threshing floor.
13  Arise and thresh,
    O daughter of Zion,
for I will make your horn iron,
    and I will make your hoofs bronze;
you shall beat in pieces many peoples;
    and shall devote 3 4:13 Hebrew devote to destruction their gain to the LORD,
    their wealth to the Lord of the whole earth.

Footnotes

[1] 4:2 Or teaching
[2] 4:10 Or push
[3] 4:13 Hebrew devote to destruction

Dive Deeper | Micah 4

As a child, I used to dream about being a famous country music singer. Instantaneously, my mind would transform our family minivan into a tour bus, my hairbrush to a microphone, and my bedroom mirror to a crowd of people. All of these imaginary elaborations were great except for one thing: I couldn't sing.

As I reflect on those days, I am reminded that reality, eventually, has to be dealt with. Sure, I can walk through each day chasing my dreams, my desires, and my expectations, but that does not mean that those things are based in truth. In fact, if I'm not careful, they might just distract me from it.

In this passage, Micah tells the people about the days that WILL come. There is no question with his word choice and no uncertainty in his tone. There are no "maybes" or even one "might," but only several straight-up "wills." For example, "the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains" (Micah 4:1).

Micah is calling the people of Judah to reexamine their lives, the things they chase, and where they place their hope. He is challenging them to come to grips with the truth and to allow that truth to change their hearts.

The question is, "What are you going to do about it?"

Everyone's story is a bit different. I don't know where you were born, what you have walked through, or where you hope to go, but I do know that there is one God, and He is good. He is worth trusting, and, one day, whether or not you believe it, you will fall face down in the light of His Lordship (Romans 14:11).

"All the nations may walk in the name of their gods, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever" (Micah 4:5, NIV). Let the truth that He is God direct your life today.

Discussion Questions

1. If God is who He says He is, how should you respond?

2. What things are you chasing that could be distracting you from submitting to the Lord today?

3. Are there any areas of your life that you are not allowing the truth to influence?

4. Are you walking in His ways, or are you walking in the path of another god?

WEEKLY FAMILY ACTIVITY

MICAH 2-6 (OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 4)

Read Micah 6:8.

What has God told us is good?

What does it mean to act justly/do what is right?

What does it mean to love mercy/kindness?

What does it mean to walk humbly with God?

Read Romans 3:21-28.

How did God act justly toward sin? How did He show mercy to us?

Read Philippians 2:5-11.

How did Jesus walk humbly with God? In light of what God has done for us, how can we act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God? (Refer to Luke 10:27.)

ACTIVITY: Have each member of your family think about a way this week to live out the greatest commandment. How will you love God first this week? And then think about the 2nd commandment -- what can you do to love your neighbor as yourself this week?