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REFLECTION
Reflection Title
by Judy Webb
“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)
The prophet, Micah, is telling the people that there will be a redeemer, a Savior, a Shepherd. “He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord.” (v 4) This is God’s rescue plan for His people. The plan was and is -- Jesus. I am thankful for that plan, as I know that I would not be who I am today were it not for Jesus and His desire for a relationship with me. For years I couldn’t grasp this. Actually, I didn’t care. For so many reasons that I won’t go into here, God wasn’t real to me. I never felt His presence, nor did I seek it.
So, what changed? One day I found that I was at the end of the proverbial rope, and I cried out to God, and he heard me. My life changed, my heart changed, and the rest is history. That is why Jesus came to us, to change us, to save us from this world to be with Him in the next. I took advantage of this change, and you can too. As Watchman Nee wrote in his book, Sit, Walk, Stand, “God is waiting for your store of strength to be utterly exhausted before he can deliver you. Once you have ceased to struggle, he will do everything. God is waiting for you to despair.”
Micah was warning the people that God will deliver them from the Assyrians. He was teaching them that God was with them. They only need to obey. We only need to obey. One of the commentaries I read about Micah said that he spoke like a person who had seen the world through God’s eyes.
“He will be our peace.” Peace, now that is something we all need and want. Note it doesn’t say He will bring peace, but that He is our Peace. I never knew what peace was until I began to know Jesus. The angst and fear I experienced most of my life, was wiped out by Jesus.
Dear Jesus, give us eyes to see your greatness and hearts to crave a relationship with you. Give us wisdom to recognize your love and to embrace it always.
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