December 31 – We've Been told

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” – Micah 6:8 (ESV)

Considering what resolutions you’ll make this New Year? New resolutions? Maybe rerun some for past years? It’s really a guessing game to help us believe we do have a renewed chance get it right. Right? God never conceals His expectations from us. We never have to guess how we should live. In response to the misguided ways in which people still seek to please God, the prophet of God, Micah clearly spells out what God does and doesn’t expect. It’s not the making of resolutions that God expects, He knows we will eventually fail them again. The people Micah addressed were being outwardly religious but inside stinking thinking and acting. These words were Micah’s rhetorical suggestions in hyperbole reflecting their hypocrisy. How about burnt offerings of year-old calves? Maybe thousands of rams, ten thousand rivers of oil. Even go so far as to suggest giving their firstborn to cover their sins. This year perhaps we form our resolutions each day to show justice, to love kindness which is mercy, with humility walk with God. We do not have to make our life in Christ complicated. It is pretty simple how we should live. Let’s resolve to do so.

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December 27 –Time Out of Mind

“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.” Micah 5:2 (ESV)

When the maji came to Jerusalem, as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, they were looking for the one who was born to be King of the Jews. The supposed king at that time was Herod. He became concerned about this news, asked the Jewish leaders where the Messiah was to be born. They answered by quoting from an Old Testament prophet by the name of Micah. Our verse today is from the writings of Micah. The last words of this quotation remind us what a wonderful savior we have. The baby born in Bethlehem at that time came from the days of eternity. Sometimes we think of eternity as being without end. We must also remember it is also without beginning. One translation of this verse tells us that Jesus came from 'time out of mind'.  It is true that we find it difficult to conceive of Jesus, who was born as a human, as being without a beginning. But Jesus is God and has always been God. He created all that has ever been created. Let's remember the promise that Jesus was, and has always been, and will always be the Son of God. 

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December 24 – Time Out of Mind

“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.”  Micah 5:2 (NIV)

When the wise men arrived in Jerusalem to ask where the King of the Jews had been born, King Herod called together those who would know.  Those who had studied the prophets replied that it would be in Bethlehem and quoted from the prophet Micah. “They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; For out of you shall come forth a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’””  Matthew 2:5-6 (NASB)  So, Herod gave the wise men directions to Bethlehem.  But none of Herod's advisers read for him the last part of the prophecy from Micah. They are very significant words and a promise for all  of us.  They tell that Jesus came from eternity. The word that Micah used translated in our verse as “from ancient times” means literally “from time out of mind” or from a time beyond our minds ability to comprehend – from eternity.  And that He would be ruler over Israel. This promise which begins thousands of years before Herod hears the prophecy was now being fulfilled in Jesus. 

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December 17 – Knowing What is Required

“He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8 (NASB)

We often hear others say, and probably think and say ourselves, that we don't know what we are to do when faced with perplexing circumstances.  Although this message was given long ago to Old Testament people, it is timeless and applies to us today, too. This is a different kind of promise. It is a promise of what God has told us to do and how we should live and we ought to know it.  We can notice that the Lord expects His followers to deal in a certain way with other people. This is what and how God wants us to face every situation we encounter. He wants to act justly toward others. He wants us to be kind to all and to love doing so.  Such kindness is being merciful. And our Lord wants us to have the proper attitude toward Him which means we are to live our lives according to God's will. Those are precious words, are they not? “To walk humbly with your God.” He wants us to walk close to Him, to do it humbly. He has told us what is good and what He requires, so let’s follow His words today.

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December 20 – Time Out of Mind

“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.” Micah 5:2 (ESV)

When the wise men came to Jerusalem, as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, they were looking for the one who was born to be king of the Jews. The king at that time was Herod. He became concerned about this news, asked the Jewish leaders where the Messiah was to be born. They answered by quoting from an Old Testament prophet by the name of Micah. Our verse today is from the writings of Micah. The last words of this quotation reminds us what a wonderful savior we have. The baby born in Bethlehem at that time came from the days of eternity.  Sometimes we think of eternity as being without end. We must also remember it is also without beginning. One translation of this verse tells us that Jesus came from 'time out of mind'.  It is true that we we find it difficult to conceive of Jesus as being without a beginning. Let's remember the promise that Jesus has always been the Son of God. 

December 22

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans[a] 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.” Micah 5:2 (NIV)

When the wise men came to Jerusalem to ask where the King of the Jews had been born, King Herod called together those who would know. Those who had studied the prophets replied that it would be in Bethlehem and quoted from the prophet Micah. So Herod gave the wise men directions to Bethlehem. But we notice that nobody read for Herod the last part of the prophecy, very significant words. They tell us that Jesus came from eternity. The word that Micah used translated in our verse as “from ancient times” meant “from time out of mind” – from eternity. 

December 9

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8 (NIV)

Although this message was given long ago to Old Testament people, it applies to us today, too. We notice that the Lord expects His followers to deal in a certain way with other people. He wants to act justly toward others and yet to be kind and merciful. That is in our relationship with others. And then our Lord wants us to have the proper attitude to Him. Those are precious words, are they not? “To walk humbly with your God.” He wants us to walk close to Him always and to do it humbly. He has shown us what is good so let’s follow His words today.