But as for me...

"But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD.  I wait for God my Savior.  My God will hear me."  (Micah 7:7)


I came across this verse the other day, and I was encouraged and inspired by Micah's faith.  Micah was a prophet of God who was living during a time of despair in Israel.  Things were so bad, he warns against trusting even family and close friends. "What misery is mine!" he says.  "The godly have been swept from the land."  Micah was feeling alone.  He was starving for good things to happen and for good people to rise up among all the corruption and violence taking place in Israel.  


Then he speaks these words: "But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD.  I wait for God my Savior.  My God will hear me."  He goes from misery to hope in three sentences.  In three statements of faith his outlook is transformed, and he goes on to talk about the faithfulness of God.  He realizes if he wants things to change, he needs to start with himself.


"Though I have fallen, I will rise.  Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light."


If you're anything like me, you know faith can be a daily battle.  I know what is true.  I know what God has said.  I know He loves me and will meet all of my needs.  I know He is my hope and my salvation.  I know He is always faithful.  But still, I fall.  I forget.  I doubt.  I often find myself sitting in the darkness of despair and misery instead of the light of truth: I am loved.  I am blessed.  I am safe.  I am forgiven.  


The words of faith Micah speaks follow some words Jesus quotes from Micah in Matthew 10:35-36. Jesus is talking to his disciples about what they are going to face as He sends them out among the "lost sheep" of Israel.  He sends them to proclaim the message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.'  He says some will receive them and their message and some will not.  He warns them they may end up in some sticky situations, but not to worry because they won't be alone.  "What I tell you in the dark," he says, "speak in the daylight.  What is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs." (v. 27)  I wonder if that's what happened to Micah.  Did the Spirit of God whisper in his ear when he was sitting there in the darkness of his misery and despair?  ("My kingdom is near.  Get your eyes off of what's going on around you, Micah, and watch for Me.  Wait for Me.  Pray, I'm listening.")


Jesus tells his disciples they will face conflict, just as Micah did in his day.  And that conflict may hit close to home..."a man against his father, a daughter against her mother...a man's enemies will be the members of his own household..." But I think what Jesus was trying to say is this: Conflict is not your enemy.  You are.  Your doubt.  Your unbelief.  Your need to be in control instead of letting go. 


"But as for me," Micah says, "I watch in hope for the Lord."  When he found himself in the darkness, he chose to look up.  He chose to have hope.  He chose to believe.  And from then on he proclaims the goodness of God and asks God to do great things among the people.  God's response:


"As in the days when you came out of Egypt, I will show them my wonders." (Micah 7:15)


I believe "wonderful" things happen every day.  But we won't see them if we're not looking.  Watch for them.  Wait with hope.  Believe the kingdom of heaven is near.  Rise up and proclaim the goodness of the Lord; first to yourself, and then to "the lost" around you.


Remind Me Who I Am (Music Video)

Go Wake Up Jesus!

"You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Matthew 8:20




Peter was watching the sky.  He didn't like what he saw.  The sea had been calm when they started out, and he thought Jesus' idea to go to the other side would be all right.  Jesus hadn't said why He wanted to go, but he was learning when Jesus said, "Let's go," it was better to go along than make up excuses.  It had been all right so far, this following Jesus thing.  Jesus had a lot of interesting things to say.  He didn't understand everything and some of it seemed a little far-fetched, but he'd seen some pretty crazy stuff and everywhere they went people flocked around Jesus.  Sometimes Peter felt like telling them to all go away and give the man some peace, but Jesus never seemed to mind healing another person or the whole town if need be.  Peter was along for the ride most days, listening to what Jesus said and contemplating these new ideas and teachings.  He'd never heard anybody talk about God the way Jesus did.


He'd always thought of Yahweh as distant and mysterious.  Someone to be obeyed and repentant toward when he didn't live up to the high standards of the law.  Jesus was changing that.  He wasn't sure how or why, but His teaching made Him think differently about Yahweh.  Jesus said His Kingdom was near.  He wasn't sure what He meant by that, but the words intrigued him.  Everything Jesus said made him think in new ways.  And not just about God, but about himself too.  Could he have this new kind of life Jesus talked about?  Was he as valuable to God as Jesus claimed?  Could he approach God and expect to receive what he asked for?  Yahweh had certainly given Jesus the power to heal Sarah's mother when his wife had asked for that today, and then all those people this evening too.  He had never seen anybody display Yahweh's power like that.


But now here they were, out in the middle of the sea, and he didn't like the look of those clouds overhead.   The wind began to pick up and he got more nervous with each passing minute.  As soon as he saw the waves beginning to swell, he knew they were in serious trouble.  He couldn't always tell when a storm was coming, but he always knew when one began to roar.  He yelled out orders to the other men on board.  John and James and Andrew knew what to do, but he told the others to go get Jesus.  They would only be in the way out here, and he knew they might be needing a miracle if they were going to survive this.  He'd seen worse, but not much, and with as fast and furious as this one was coming, they all may end up dying out here tonight.


When he saw Jesus come out and stand in the middle of the boat with the rain pelting down all around them, the wind nearly blowing them overboard, and the waves crashing over the side, he felt a calmness settle over his mind and heart.  Yes, this was bad, but while they were all cowering in fear, Jesus appeared fearless.  He held up His hands toward heaven and shouted something over the sound of the wind and waves.  


"Quiet!  Be still!"


The clouds rolled away, the rain ceased, the waves became calm so quickly an eerie feeling came over him.  What was that?  Seriously?  He looked around at the others.  They were as white as a sheet, and he supposed he was too.  But he had to smile.  Looking back to Jesus, he gazed at Him in silent wonder.  Jesus winked at him and said, "I'm going back to sleep now.  Let me know when we get there."


Peter gave the order to raise the sail back up, and they continued on course.  The others were walking around in astonishment, saying, "What kind of a man is this?  Even the winds and the waves obey him?"  Peter had that feeling of awesome wonder in his heart, but he wasn't as surprised by Jesus' power as he once would have been.  He'd seen enough, and he was starting to get it.  And he was certain this wouldn't be the last of all he would see Jesus do.  


                                         ***


This story of Jesus calming the stormy sea is recorded in three of the four gospels.  It was certainly a memorable day for His disciples, and it's one of my favorite stories because of the way it turned out.  Jesus didn't just pull them through the storm.  He did more than keep the boat from tipping over in the powerful waves.  He did more than tell them to "hang on" and believe everything would be all right.


I think sometimes this is all we expect from God.  We expect Him to carry us through a difficult circumstance.  We expect Him to call us to a deeper level of faith.  We expect Him to be with us and work all things together for good.  And we should expect those things.  God works in all kinds of ways, and I've seen Him do all of that.


But I've also seen something else.  I've seen what the disciples saw that day.  He could have told them they didn't need to be afraid and left the storm raging.  He could have protected them from peril another way.  But He wanted to show them the full extent of His power--to completely change their circumstance, not just pull them through.


And I've seen Him do that too.

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?" Matthew 6:26


Jesus liked to ask questions.  It was one of His favorite teaching tools to get those who were listening to think about what they truly believed.  Negative thoughts were affecting their faith, and thinking differently could change that.  He pointed out a basic truth, like birds being cared for by God, and then asked, "Are you not much more valuable than they?"  He was essentially saying, 'Do you believe in God's love for you?' 


Do you believe you are more valuable than birds?  He values birds and cares for them.  Won't He do the same for you?  No money saved up for college?  No job?  No retirement plan?  No money in savings?  No storehouse of earthly treasure?  No worries.  Your Father's got it covered.  Trust Him.


"See how the lilies of the field grow.  They do not labor or spin...will He not much more clothe you?  Oh you of little faith!" Matthew 6:28.30