November 7, 2011

WAITING AND PROCLAIMING

Micah 7

Kate Wilson
Monday's Devo

November 7, 2011

Monday's Devo

November 7, 2011

Central Truth

As we wait upon Jesus Christ's return, we must remember to keep our eyes on Him and run with haste to tell others of His abounding love and grace.

Key Verse | Micah 7:7

But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD;
I will wait for the God of my salvation.
My God will hear me.
(Micah 7:7)

Micah 7

Wait for the God of Salvation

Woe is me! For I have become
    as when the summer fruit has been gathered,
    as when the grapes have been gleaned:
there is no cluster to eat,
    no first-ripe fig that my soul desires.
The godly has perished from the earth,
    and there is no one upright among mankind;
they all lie in wait for blood,
    and each hunts the other with a net.
Their hands are on what is evil, to do it well;
    the prince and the judge ask for a bribe,
and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul;
    thus they weave it together.
The best of them is like a brier,
    the most upright of them a thorn hedge.
The day of your watchmen, of your punishment, has come;
    now their confusion is at hand.
Put no trust in a neighbor;
    have no confidence in a friend;
guard the doors of your mouth
    from her who lies in your arms; 1 7:5 Hebrew bosom
for the son treats the father with contempt,
    the daughter rises up against her mother,
the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
    a man's enemies are the men of his own house.
But as for me, I will look to the LORD;
    I will wait for the God of my salvation;
    my God will hear me.

Rejoice not over me, O my enemy;
    when I fall, I shall rise;
when I sit in darkness,
    the LORD will be a light to me.
I will bear the indignation of the LORD
    because I have sinned against him,
until he pleads my cause
    and executes judgment for me.
He will bring me out to the light;
    I shall look upon his vindication.
10  Then my enemy will see,
    and shame will cover her who said to me,
    “Where is the LORD your God?”
My eyes will look upon her;
    now she will be trampled down
    like the mire of the streets.

11  A day for the building of your walls!
    In that day the boundary shall be far extended.
12  In that day they 2 7:12 Hebrew he will come to you,
    from Assyria and the cities of Egypt,
and from Egypt to the River, 3 7:12 That is, the Euphrates
    from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.
13  But the earth will be desolate
    because of its inhabitants,
    for the fruit of their deeds.

14  Shepherd your people with your staff,
    the flock of your inheritance,
who dwell alone in a forest
    in the midst of a garden land; 4 7:14 Hebrew of Carmel
let them graze in Bashan and Gilead
    as in the days of old.
15  As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt,
    I will show them 5 7:15 Hebrew him marvelous things.
16  The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might;
they shall lay their hands on their mouths;
    their ears shall be deaf;
17  they shall lick the dust like a serpent,
    like the crawling things of the earth;
they shall come trembling out of their strongholds;
    they shall turn in dread to the LORD our God,
    and they shall be in fear of you.

God's Steadfast Love and Compassion

18  Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity
    and passing over transgression
    for the remnant of his inheritance?
He does not retain his anger forever,
    because he delights in steadfast love.
19  He will again have compassion on us;
    he will tread our iniquities underfoot.
You will cast all our 6 7:19 Hebrew their sins
    into the depths of the sea.
20  You will show faithfulness to Jacob
    and steadfast love to Abraham,
as you have sworn to our fathers
    from the days of old.

Footnotes

[1] 7:5 Hebrew bosom
[2] 7:12 Hebrew he
[3] 7:12 That is, the Euphrates
[4] 7:14 Hebrew of Carmel
[5] 7:15 Hebrew him
[6] 7:19 Hebrew their

Dive Deeper | Micah 7

Micah 7 begins with the prophet's lamentations about the sinners that surround him. I watch the news and hear stories of tragedy, pain, and self-destruction. Then, I look at my own life before I fully surrendered to Christ, and I can understand Micah's distress.

The pivotal shift in this passage is verse 7. "But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me." Today, I rejoice in knowing the truth of my salvation -- Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He came to earth, lived a perfect life, but died a criminal's death on a cross for every one of our sins. He rose again three days later, victorious, making relationship possible with our God. Amen!

Yet, the story does not end there. This same Lord that Micah anticipated, Jesus Christ, is coming again, and, until that day comes, I must quickly go and tell of His love, grace, and sacrifice.

For example, the sweet friends I had before committing myself to the Lord are still running to the world for satisfaction. They believe the lies that money, a man, partying, a job, etc. define their worth and can satisfy the emptiness inside them. I must continue to go to them with haste and tell them of the change that the Lord has done in my heart and in my life. I must show them with my actions how Jesus Christ loves them and wants so badly for them to come home to Him. He alone fully satisfies and defines our worth as sons and daughters of THE King.

My story does not end here. I must share not only with my friends and family who do not know the Lord, but with each and every person God places before me; for, one day, every knee will bow before Jesus Christ as King (Philippians 2:10). And, I do not want to miss any more opportunities to tell others about Him in the meantime.

Discussion Questions

1. Do you know this Jesus Christ?

2. If so, what is distracting you today from keeping your eyes on Him?

3. To whom in your life do you need to speak boldly of His love and grace?

4. What is holding you back from sharing with loved ones or strangers about His love?

WEEKLY FAMILY ACTIVITY

MICAH 7-HABAKKUK 1 (NOVEMBER 7-11)

Read Micah 7:18-20.

What does verse 18 tell us that God will do for Israel, both concerning their sins and what He shows them? What does it mean to be pardoned from something? How is this showing mercy? (Mercy is defined as not getting what we deserve.) What does verse 19 say God will do to their sins?

Read Psalm 103:11-12.

Just as He removes Israel's sins and throws them into the depths of the ocean (Micah 7:19), what does He do to our sins in Psalm 103:12? When God shows His faithfulness to His people, both the Israelites and us, to whom was the promise originally made that He is fulfilling? (Micah 7:20)

Read Genesis 12:1-3, 22:17-18, and Genesis 28:13-15 to see the actual promises made to Abraham and Jacob.

ACTIVITY: Go online and look up how deep the ocean is. If it is in km, convert it into miles (miles = # of km/1.61). Using that number of miles, look up different distances between major cities. Check out those distances on a map. How does it make you feel that God removes your sins so far from you? Take time to pray and thank Him for His mercy!