THE GOLDEN THREAD
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Opening Prayer
Heavenly Father, please teach me to be gracious, to have a heart like yours that is ready to give generously, even where reciprocity is not possible.
Read MICAH 4
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
The Mountain of the Lord
4 In the last days
the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established
as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,
and peoples will stream to it.
2 Many nations will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
3 He will judge between many peoples
and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
4 Everyone will sit under their own vine
and under their own fig tree,
and no one will make them afraid,
for the Lord Almighty has spoken.
5 All the nations may walk
in the name of their gods,
but we will walk in the name of the Lord
our God for ever and ever.
The Lord’s Plan
6 “In that day,” declares the Lord,
“I will gather the lame;
I will assemble the exiles
and those I have brought to grief.
7 I will make the lame my remnant,
those driven away a strong nation.
The Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion
from that day and forever.
8 As for you, watchtower of the flock,
stronghold[a] of Daughter Zion,
the former dominion will be restored to you;
kingship will come to Daughter Jerusalem.”
9 Why do you now cry aloud—
have you no king[b]?
Has your ruler[c] perished,
that pain seizes you like that of a woman in labor?
10 Writhe in agony, Daughter Zion,
like a woman in labor,
for now you must leave the city
to camp in the open field.
You will go to Babylon;
there you will be rescued.
There the Lord will redeem you
out of the hand of your enemies.
11 But now many nations
are gathered against you.
They say, “Let her be defiled,
let our eyes gloat over Zion!”
12 But they do not know
the thoughts of the Lord;
they do not understand his plan,
that he has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
13 “Rise and thresh, Daughter Zion,
for I will give you horns of iron;
I will give you hooves of bronze,
and you will break to pieces many nations.”
You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the Lord,
their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.
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
Prayerfully repeat these words from Psalm 16:5 (GNT): ‘You, Lord, are all I have, and you give me all I need; my future is in your hands.’ As you do, listen for what God may wish to say to you.There’s no escaping it, Israel’s rebellion is going to be the cause of great pain for the nation and for the individuals that comprise it (v. 10). Writhing in agony at their loss, they will watch Babylon take away everything they value, then destroy the rest (v. 11).
In times of great suffering and loss, it can be hard to hang on to any sense of God’s presence or purpose. ‘Where is God in this mess?’ we wonder. Perhaps that is why, in this passage, the words that come more often than any other are ‘the Lord.’ Despite everything, he is still the central character in the unfolding events.
Ten times (vv. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 13), Micah threads the name of ‘the Lord’ through this passage as an active participant in everything that is going on. Wonderfully, justice, peace, contentment, and freedom from fear are on his agenda (vv. 3, 4)! God may permit us to suffer the consequences of our own choices (1:5), but the golden thread, woven through even our most difficult times, is the faithful presence of ‘the Lord.’
Apply
Bring the events of the world to mind and pray for the day when ‘nation will not take up sword against nation’ anymore (v. 3).
Closing prayer
Lord God, I pray for Christians everywhere who are caught in conflict. Help them to find hope and sanctuary in you.
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