"And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the Majesty of the Name of the Lord His God; and they shall abide: for now shall He be great unto the ends of the earth." (Micah 5:4)
Micah the Morasthite, a prophet in the days of kings Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (kings of Judah) upon receiving the Word of the Lord emphasized the transgression of Jacob and how the wound that is incurable has come into this place. Indeed, the Lord saith, "Hear, all ye people, hearken, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord God be witness against you, the Lord from His holy temple. For, behold, the Lord comes forth out of His place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth. And the mountains shall be molten under Him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, and as the waters that are poured down a steep place." (Micah 1:1-4)
On the New Testament side, we now know that the Lord has come forth out of His place -- the first man Adam, earthy; and the second, the Lord from Heaven. The Lord now having come forth as a mighty man -- the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 42:13; Isaiah 9:6) God manifest in the flesh and dwelling among us. (I Timothy 3:16) He was in the world and the world was made by Him and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own and His own received Him not. (John 1:10-11; John 1:1-18)
His Name JESUS -- as declared by the angel of the Lord -- and He shall save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21-23)
Similarly, the prophet Isaiah reminds us that the LORD said beforehand that He would do a new thing in this current dispensation of grace. Indeed, the Lord saith, "Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a NEW thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. The beast of the field shall honour Me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My people, My chosen. This people have I formed for Myself; they shall show forth My praise." (Isaiah 43:10-21)
As Jesus said when He walked this earth, "I am come a Light into the world, that whosoever believes on Me should not abide in darkness." (John 12:46) And in another place, Jesus says, "I AM the Bread of Life!" (John 6:33, 35, 48, 51)
Further, as the Lord God hath declared, when we worship Him, He provides for us (as He does for the beasts of the field and the dragons and owls) and gives us water in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, providing drink for His people -- similar to the manna from heaven to the Israelites of old.
"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate," saith the Lord, "and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you ... " (II Corinthians 6:17)
[As an aside, even sadder is that we who profess to believe too often subscribe to the day to day that the world offers rather than trusting the Lord Himself for our sustenance. Is it any wonder that the Lord Jesus said, "Nevertheless when the Son of man comes, shall He find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:18) But I digress.]
Sadly, however, what we are witnessing today is that fewer and fewer professing believers are relying on the Lord Jesus for their day to day sustenance. Instead, as a collective, many faith organizations have allowed the "incurable" to come into the very places of worship -- the idols, the witchcraft, the graven images, the spiritual exercises and programs that are not mindful of the kindness and mercy of our Lord God our Saviour. (Titus 3:4-7) And by extension, our hearts far too often willing to accept these forms of idolatry in our midst instead of coming out from among them, as the Lord hath said.
"Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof" of which the Lord has also instructed, "from such turn away." (II Timothy 3:5)
Indeed, the Lord's long suffering for His beloved people has been evident from the beginning -- always willing to extend His love and mercy and kindness who turn their hearts unto Him. But instead, the Lord is left asking, "O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn My glory into shame? How long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing?" (Psalms 4:2)
"At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a Name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes," saith the Lord. (Zephaniah 3:20)
"For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the Name of the Lord, to serve Him with one consent." (Zephaniah 3:9)
It does not have to be this way. "Turn ye unto Me," saith the Lord of hosts, "and I will turn unto you," saith the Lord of hosts." (Zechariah 1:3)
"Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render double unto thee ..." (Zechariah 9:12)
"For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the Name of the Lord, to serve Him with one consent." (Zephaniah 3:9)
Yes, how often the Lord would have gathered us like hens gather their flock, if we who believe would only ask Him to establish our steps ... our comings and goings. In fact, Jesus said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that kills the prophets, and stones them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" (Matthew 23:37)
If only we would listen to His calling. But because we have not turned our hearts to the Lord, there is a thus, a but and a therefore that is to come, because we have chosen not to feed in the strength of the Lord and the Majesty of His precious, holy Name!
Thus, saith the Lord of hosts -- "I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not Me," saith the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:5)
But because "they will not frame their doings to turn unto their God: for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them" the Lord declares that "they have not known the Lord." (Hosea 5:4)
"Therefore I will make Samaria as an heap of the field, [and] as plantings of a vineyard: and I will pour down the stones thereof into the valley, and I will discover the foundations thereof. And all the graven images thereof shall be beaten to pieces,and all the hires thereof shall be burned with the fire, and all the idols thereof will I lay desolate: for she gathered it of the hire of an harlot, and they shall return to the hire of an harlot." (Micah 1:6-7)
Yes, "ye are My witnesses," saith the LORD, "and My servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe Me, and understand that I AM HE: before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside Me there is no Saviour. I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are My witnesses," saith the LORD, "that I am God. Yea, before the day was I AM HE; and there is none that can deliver out of My hand: I will work, and who shall let it?
Still, as His Word continually shows, the Lord has a greater purpose for those who believe in Him, trusting in His Name, giving thanks continually for His blessings, rejoicing evermore. But to get there, we need to adhere to His Word and not the voice of the harlot who willingly chooses to worship strange gods. Why? Because there is only One Almighty God, and in this current time period in which we live, we are to feed upon His strength -- the strength of the Lord and dwell in the Majesty of the Name of JESUS! For He is Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the ending. He who is and was and is to come -- our Lord God and Saviour JESUS the Christ. (Revelation 1:8; I Timothy 3:16; Titus 2:13; Acts 2:36-41)
Thus saith the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, "For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships. I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King."
Thus saith the LORD, which makes a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; which brings forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow. "Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. The beast of the field shall honour Me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My people, My chosen. This people have I formed for Myself; they shall shew forth My praise." (Isaiah 43:10-21)
Make Jesus both Lord and Christ in your heart and life today, and be thankful for the many blessings He continues to bestow upon those who believe in Him with all their mind, soul, heart and strength. Hear O Israel the Lord thy God is One Lord! (Mark 12:29-31; Deuteronomy 6:4) And He is more than able to sustain you in the day to day.
Stand in the offering plate.
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