Month: October 2019

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Hump Day!

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Micah 2 How does your worship on Sunday affect your weekday? Are you facing the blahs of ‘hump day?’ Are you weary and looking forward to the weekend?  The Israelites were no different and so Micah asks his audience is God’s patience dwindled or is it exhausted? He answers with these words from God: surely not! God is patient and longsuffering and He blesses those who choose to walk uprightly.

Uprightly has the meaning of one whose walk is marked by integrity. If you do a “rabbit trail” through the scriptures you find that principle over and over. In fact, if you read the entire 28th chapter of Deut you will see how God blesses those who choose this path. Also, the psalmist knew that principle: Ps. 18: 25-26; God proves Himself reliable to one who is blameless, Ps 25: 10 the Lord always proves faithful and reliable to those who follow the demands of his covenant.

So although today is “hump day,” be sure of this dear friends, God will continue to bless you who choose His ways 24/7, 365 days a year. Do not become weary in well-doing and remember that a man’s appearance reveals his heart. Hangest thou in there. Be faithful and see the hand of the Lord upon your life.

 

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Are you an Obadiah or a Jonah?

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Obadiah/Jonah:  We have heard: sticks and stones may hurt my bones but words will never hurt me. But, of course, we know that that is an untruth for we have been the recipient of hurtful words and they linger in our hearts. Both Obadiah and Jonah heard the words of hate but what they did with those words is a lesson for all of us. The prophets Obadiah and Jonah are sequestered between other books that we might stop and reflect: is my heart that of man or is my heart that of God.

Obadiah heard God speak and he recorded the gloating prideful words of Edom but he saw that if he left it at the feet of God, he could see hope when all seemed lost. Listen to his words: those who have been delivered will go up to Mt. Zion!

In sharp contrast is the prophet Jonah who wore his hatred on his sleeve. He hated the Ninevites and was angry that God would call him to go there and preach. In his mind, Jonah was asking; how could I, after all, they have done?  And so Jonah found a berth in a ship to hide but soon God would hide him in the belly of a fish.

God’s question to Jonah is one that HE is asking us: Do you have a right to be angry?   God is asking us that same question. God is asking us to see men through His eyes of compassion even-when-it-is-hard.

 

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