I know the Lord will get justice for the poor and will defend the needy in court. Good people will praise His name; honest people will live in His presence. (Verses 12-13) Italics, mine
Enemy, don't laugh at me! I have fallen, but I will get up again. I sit in the shadow of trouble now, but the Lord will be a light for me. I sinned against the Lord, so He was angry with me, but He will defend my case in court. He will bring about what is right for me. Then He will bring me out into the light, and I will see Him set things right. Micah 7:8-9 Italics, mine
What do you know the Lord will do? Will is a faith word. Spoken in confidence. "I will be there at 8." You can count on it. Don't give it another thought. If I have a habit of not showing up on time or at all, then my saying I will be there won't mean a thing to anyone. As in Kay never does what she says she will. That would be a character flaw that often makes me out to be a liar. Based upon my history with my Father, there are things I know He will do. I know God will fight for me when I'm the underdog. I know, though imperfectly, that He loves me. That is the thing that changes me every day. I know I will see Him someday. God feels just that close. And He promised I would. My Father keeps His promises. These verses have to do with knowing that God is just and that He is a God of mercy. A dichotomy of terms. How can One be absolutely right and still give us mercy?
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Jesus got away from the crowds that followed Him wanting healing and deliverance. With His disciples, Jesus climbed to a mountaintop and sat down to just be with them. His twelve. Jesus had some things to say; some things He had to teach the men who would carry on after His death. And this is the first thing out of His mouth. "Happy are those who know they need God." The poor. In spirit. Bankrupt and empty without God. The real indigent. The pearl of great price gives riches to everyone. If money is the idol, the man is destitute. If Jesus is the prize, the poor man has it all. For every need. The kingdom of heaven, here and eternally, is for those who know they are bankrupt without Him.
I am intrigued by the mention of God's defense of us in court. What court? His, I believe. He is The Judge. It is up to God to decide our fate, ultimately and in the short term. I memorized these verses from Micah when I was far away from Him, slopping around in the mud of my miry pit. I'd virtually jumped into it. No fault of God's. If I'd cried out for justice in that moment, I'd not be here to write this blog post. My God had every available reason to leave me just where I was. But I looked around and understood the degradation of my circumstances, the pain of my pit. And what I knew my God would do was save me. Knew it with all my heart. No Why would I come down there and get you? response was on His tongue. Mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13) My father prefers to rescue me. So sitting down there in the dark I cried out for some light. Just a little, even. Enough to see Him again. Oh, He wasn't pleased with me. Angry, in fact. But He loves me. This I know. Dragged into court with the enemy to accuse me (rightly), I had an advocate Satan can't win against with all of his prosecutorial skills. My Father if the Judge. And with all the evidence against me, Jesus is Who God saw. Standing there, pleading my case. This one belongs to Me. Gavel sounds. Case dismissed! And I walk free. Consequences, yes. Guilt and shame, no. Someone already went to prison and the cross to pay the eternal penalty for all my obvious and not so obvious sins.
Jesus wasn't finished with me, though. I still smelled like my pit, carried the detritus of my mire. It took a while to clean me up. To set things straight again. But He did it in me. Shone the Light on what needed rearranging. What defense attorney does all that? Only One Who took my place on the dock. See why I trust Him? Why I know He will do all He says He will? We have a past that assures me of the present. God is a merciful Judge. A loving Father. And a lover of those who are poor and know it.
Enemy, don't laugh at me! I have fallen, but I will get up again. I sit in the shadow of trouble now, but the Lord will be a light for me. I sinned against the Lord, so He was angry with me, but He will defend my case in court. He will bring about what is right for me. Then He will bring me out into the light, and I will see Him set things right. Micah 7:8-9 Italics, mine
What do you know the Lord will do? Will is a faith word. Spoken in confidence. "I will be there at 8." You can count on it. Don't give it another thought. If I have a habit of not showing up on time or at all, then my saying I will be there won't mean a thing to anyone. As in Kay never does what she says she will. That would be a character flaw that often makes me out to be a liar. Based upon my history with my Father, there are things I know He will do. I know God will fight for me when I'm the underdog. I know, though imperfectly, that He loves me. That is the thing that changes me every day. I know I will see Him someday. God feels just that close. And He promised I would. My Father keeps His promises. These verses have to do with knowing that God is just and that He is a God of mercy. A dichotomy of terms. How can One be absolutely right and still give us mercy?
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Jesus got away from the crowds that followed Him wanting healing and deliverance. With His disciples, Jesus climbed to a mountaintop and sat down to just be with them. His twelve. Jesus had some things to say; some things He had to teach the men who would carry on after His death. And this is the first thing out of His mouth. "Happy are those who know they need God." The poor. In spirit. Bankrupt and empty without God. The real indigent. The pearl of great price gives riches to everyone. If money is the idol, the man is destitute. If Jesus is the prize, the poor man has it all. For every need. The kingdom of heaven, here and eternally, is for those who know they are bankrupt without Him.
I am intrigued by the mention of God's defense of us in court. What court? His, I believe. He is The Judge. It is up to God to decide our fate, ultimately and in the short term. I memorized these verses from Micah when I was far away from Him, slopping around in the mud of my miry pit. I'd virtually jumped into it. No fault of God's. If I'd cried out for justice in that moment, I'd not be here to write this blog post. My God had every available reason to leave me just where I was. But I looked around and understood the degradation of my circumstances, the pain of my pit. And what I knew my God would do was save me. Knew it with all my heart. No Why would I come down there and get you? response was on His tongue. Mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13) My father prefers to rescue me. So sitting down there in the dark I cried out for some light. Just a little, even. Enough to see Him again. Oh, He wasn't pleased with me. Angry, in fact. But He loves me. This I know. Dragged into court with the enemy to accuse me (rightly), I had an advocate Satan can't win against with all of his prosecutorial skills. My Father if the Judge. And with all the evidence against me, Jesus is Who God saw. Standing there, pleading my case. This one belongs to Me. Gavel sounds. Case dismissed! And I walk free. Consequences, yes. Guilt and shame, no. Someone already went to prison and the cross to pay the eternal penalty for all my obvious and not so obvious sins.
Jesus wasn't finished with me, though. I still smelled like my pit, carried the detritus of my mire. It took a while to clean me up. To set things straight again. But He did it in me. Shone the Light on what needed rearranging. What defense attorney does all that? Only One Who took my place on the dock. See why I trust Him? Why I know He will do all He says He will? We have a past that assures me of the present. God is a merciful Judge. A loving Father. And a lover of those who are poor and know it.
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