Jump Start # 3321

Micah 1:3 “For behold, the Lord is coming forth from His place. He will come down and tread on the high places of the earth.”

The words found in our passage today sound as if they could have been spoken by an angry parent. Things weren’t going well. Prophets were being ignored. God’s patience was running thin. And in this bold statement, the Lord declares, “I’m coming down there.” This wasn’t going to be a good thing for Israel. Doom and destruction are what follows.

There are some great lessons for us here:

First, there are times when we wish God would just do that today. Our world seems to be inside out when it comes to values, morals and what people are pursuing. Just come down here Lord and straighten things out. “Just wait until your father gets home,” is what many moms of years gone by said. My mom didn’t wait. She took care of things right then and there.

God’s coming down doesn’t have to be literally. God moved nations. God raised up kings. God used countries to punish His people. Assyria and Babylon were both moved into place at God’s will and when they had fulfilled all that God needed, they were moved back. The rulers of those nations likely never understood that what was happening was God’s will and not their own military might.

Might God do the same today? He could. Sometimes during oppression and hard times people run from the folly of Satan and seek the Lord.

Get on down here, Lord, and straighten things up!

Second, God never has, nor will He ever force a person to obey Him. Force rather than faith does not impress God. Force compels the outside, but does not change the inside. Submission, when we bend our will to His will, is what the Lord seeks. A parent may come into a child’s room and stop the nonsense that is going on, but that usually doesn’t last very long. Our hope is not in finding the right candidates who will make the right laws so the citizens will do what is right. Our hope is in the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is in the message of the cross that people submit their ways to God. Change must come from the inside.

Third, there is a time when God is coming, but by then it will be too late for any repentant changes. Jesus is coming. He said that. The apostles preached that. But at that time, it will be a gathering of God’s people and the end of all things as we know it. Judgment will take place and eternity will be set.

An old hymn states, “There’s a great day coming, a great day coming…” It will be great because we will be with the Lord. It will be great because all of the troubles and trials of this life will be over. It will be great because Satan will never pester us again. It will be great because we will not be hurried with so many other things to do. It will be great.

The Lord comes and everything will be right. It won’t be here, but there.

Roger