Learning Holy Discontent
Opening Prayer
God, give me a hunger for more of You in my life and a deeper desire to glorify You.
Read Micah 5:1–15
Marshal your troops now, city of troops,
for a siege is laid against us.
They will strike Israel’s ruler
on the cheek with a rod.
2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.”
3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned
until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,
and the rest of his brothers return
to join the Israelites.
4 He will stand and shepherd his flock
in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness
will reach to the ends of the earth.
5 And he will be our peace
when the Assyrians invade our land
and march through our fortresses.
We will raise against them seven shepherds,
even eight commanders,
6 who will rule the land of Assyria with the sword,
the land of Nimrod with drawn sword.
He will deliver us from the Assyrians
when they invade our land
and march across our borders.
7 The remnant of Jacob will be
in the midst of many peoples
like dew from the Lord,
like showers on the grass,
which do not wait for anyone
or depend on man.
8 The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations,
in the midst of many peoples,
like a lion among the beasts of the forest,
like a young lion among flocks of sheep,
which mauls and mangles as it goes,
and no one can rescue.
9 Your hand will be lifted up in triumph over your enemies,
and all your foes will be destroyed.
10 “In that day,” declares the Lord,
“I will destroy your horses from among you
and demolish your chariots.
11 I will destroy the cities of your land
and tear down all your strongholds.
12 I will destroy your witchcraft
and you will no longer cast spells.
13 I will destroy your idols
and your sacred stones from among you;
you will no longer bow down
to the work of your hands.
14 I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles
when I demolish your cities.
15 I will take vengeance in anger and wrath
on the nations that have not obeyed me.”
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Do you find yourself longing for things to be different? Do you find yourself wishing for your life to change?Micah’s vision of the future is inspiring. He saw a ruler whose origins are ancient (2), coming to rule in the strength and majesty of God (4), bringing security, peace and deliverance (4–6).
With this idea of Messiah, it’s easy to see why the religious leaders rejected Jesus: he brought none of those things—yet. He had to deal with sin first, because life can only come through judgment. On Ascension Day we remember that Jesus will return as he left (Acts 1:11). I long for that day, when he will come as Micah prophesied. But that longing can take over so much that we forget our task in the present.
Micah’s vision is not an escape but a challenge: we must not ignore verses 10–15. There is
much that needs to change. So let’s not let our longing for the future be impatience, but holy discontent, leading us to start now what God will complete then.
Apply
What situation or aspect of your life do you most want God to transform? What can you do about it?
Closing prayer
Heavenly Potter, take the clay of my life and mold me into what You would have me be. Use me for Your purposes.
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