Text: Micah 7:1–20 (ESV) 

Woe! Disintegration all around… Repentance?

¹ Woe is me! For I have become 

as when the summer fruit has been gathered, 

as when the grapes have been gleaned: 

there is no cluster to eat, 

no first-ripe fig that my soul desires. 

² The godly has perished from the earth, 

and there is no one upright among mankind; 

they all lie in wait for blood, 

and each hunts the other with a net. 

³ Their hands are on what is evil, to do it well; 

the prince and the judge ask for a bribe, 

and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul; 

thus they weave it together. 

⁴ The best of them is like a brier, 

the most upright of them a thorn hedge. 

The day of your watchmen, of your punishment, has come; 

now their confusion is at hand. 

⁵ Put no trust in a neighbor; 

have no confidence in a friend; 

guard the doors of your mouth 

from her who lies in your arms; 

⁶ for the son treats the father with contempt, 

the daughter rises up against her mother, 

the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 

a man’s enemies are the men of his own house. 

⁷ But as for me, I will look to the LORD; 

I will wait for the God of my salvation; 

my God will hear me. 

However. Continued confidence

⁸ Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; 

when I fall, I shall rise; 

when I sit in darkness, 

the LORD will be a light to me. 

⁹ I will bear the indignation of the LORD 

because I have sinned against him, 

until he pleads my cause 

and executes judgment for me. 

He will bring me out to the light; 

I shall look upon his vindication. 

¹⁰ Then my enemy will see, 

and shame will cover her who said to me, 

“Where is the LORD your God?” 

My eyes will look upon her; 

now she will be trampled down 

like the mire of the streets. 

There’s coming a day…

¹¹ A day for the building of your walls! 

In that day the boundary shall be far extended. 

¹² In that day they will come to you, 

from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, 

and from Egypt to the River, 

from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain. 

¹³ But the earth will be desolate 

because of its inhabitants, 

for the fruit of their deeds. 

God is worthy of all honor and attention…

¹⁴ Shepherd your people with your staff, 

the flock of your inheritance, 

who dwell alone in a forest 

in the midst of a garden land; 

let them graze in Bashan and Gilead 

as in the days of old. 

¹⁵ As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt, 

I will show them marvelous things. 

¹⁶ The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might; 

they shall lay their hands on their mouths; 

their ears shall be deaf; 

¹⁷ they shall lick the dust like a serpent, 

like the crawling things of the earth; 

they shall come trembling out of their strongholds; 

they shall turn in dread to the LORD our God, 

and they shall be in fear of you. 

Who is like you, God?

¹⁸ Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity 

and passing over transgression 

for the remnant of his inheritance? 

He does not retain his anger forever, 

because he delights in steadfast love. 

¹⁹ He will again have compassion on us; 

he will tread our iniquities underfoot. 

You will cast all our sins 

into the depths of the sea. 

²⁰ You will show faithfulness to Jacob 

and steadfast love to Abraham, 

as you have sworn to our fathers 

from the days of old. 

Micah 7:18-20

In 2016, Austria was a world leader in recycling. Fully 63% of all waste was recycled and kept out of their landfills. They have incredibly strict rules for how you separate your waste materials. There are bins for: paper, plastic, metal, and glass. There are rules for collecting toxic and/or combustible materials. And, there are rules for compost. If it’s organic, coffee and tea bags, and certain paper towel products, it goes in compost. What’s left goes into a generic waste container.

All these bins and containers are color coded. And the rules are strictly followed. One website says, “Non-compliance with the rules on waste separation can lead to criminal charges and fines.”

TCMII, located in Heiligenkreuz, Austria, follows these rules with exactness. Given that they feed upwards of 100 people for 10 days at a time throughout the 9 teaching sessions, there is a lot of organic waste. It all goes into a pit to decompose so it can be used in the landscaping process around the campus. 

Someone has to empty the pit. One year, it was the job of two seminary students who were there as short-term workers. Frank and Brian drew the short straw. They spent the afternoon running the muck from the compost pit through a leaf/limb chopper to give it one final grind. Then they distributed it to the various flower beds. At the end of the day, they put their clothes, shoes included, into a general waste container. They (the clothes) were filthy beyond reclamation.

You couldn’t remove those clothes far enough from any human contact. Buried underground, placed at the bottom of the ocean, flown into outer space…those seemed the best options for getting rid of something so incredibly putrid.

By supper time, Frank and Brian had scrubbed themselves clean, put on new clothes and a little body wash. You’d have never known they’d been buried for half a day in the compost pit.

Text: Micah 7:18-20

Listening to the Text

These questions are specifically designed to help you look at the text more carefully.

• Note the various places where sins are mentioned. What happens to them?

• How does forgiveness of sins reveal God’s faithfulness to His covenant with Abraham?

Applying What We’ve Heard

These questions are to help you see how the text applies to you and others.

• How do you feel, knowing God has trampled your sins into the dust of the ground?

• When did you first receive God’s mercy and experience forgiveness of sins?

Pray:

Forgiving Father, these pictures are overwhelming. You actually bury our sins in the depths of the sea. You overlook the mess we’ve made of our lives and willingly forgive us when we come to you. How do we thank you for that? How do we ever repay you? We know we don’t. So, we simply want to honor you and praise you for your mercy. Please, receive our praise. Jesus, thank you for making forgiveness possible. Thank you for dying for us. Thank you for being gracious and merciful. Holy Spirit, bear witness with our spirit that we are forgiven. Remind us of that whenever we need to know that. Convey to the Father the depths of our heartfelt gratitude. Amen.

Listening to Jesus

Read: Mark 2:1-12

Four good friends bring a paralyzed man to Jesus. The astounding story has them lowering him down on a pallet through the roof. There Jesus announces that his sins are forgiven. He makes it clear that He has the power to forgive. It’s the greatest gift Jesus gives us, other than His presence. He removes our sins from us and makes it impossible for God to ever see them again.

Responding in Life

• We encourage you to keep diving into Scripture on your own and with others as you continue Listen to what He has to say. 

Micah 7:14-17

Warm Lake, Stanley Basin, Payette Lake, Black Canyon, Palisades, White Bird Hill, Bogus Basin, Cabbage Mountain, Garden Valley. Just to name a few of the significant places along the journey. Every place has a story.

Warm Lake was home all summer while Dad led the crew building the new bridge across the Salmon River. We lived in tents and played in the river. We climbed mountains and chased bobcats. We tried to catch salmon with 24” grilling forks. We had no idea what we’d do if we caught either a fish or cat.

The reservoir at Black Canyon provided a place to swim, fish and picnic. It was the spot many of us learned to water ski. Payette Lake, on the other hand, was Boy Scout camp, which meant canoeing, swimming, camping and friends. It was there we purposely swamped our canoes so we could learn to get them upright in the water. The legendary “loch ness” monster provided all the fear one could want as he attempted the mile swim out to the island and back.

Bogus Basin served as nearby ski territory for most. But, for us, it provided roads and off-road trails for motorcycling. There were mountains to climb on the back of a two-wheel beast. And slopes to tube down while the wealthier skied in the winter months.

White Bird Hill. U.S. Highway 95. Start at White Bird Creek and come to the crest at White Bird Summit. The old highway was 22 miles of switchbacks climbing at grades above 7%. When it was replaced, on the other side of the natural ravine it traversed, the road was straightened and the summit had a pass cut through. That road is only 7 miles long. Squished into switchbacks so tight that a semi had a difficult time making the turns, White Bird was infamous. My dad took a 1940s Studebaker with a Bantam backhoe on the rear up that hill. Took him nearly 8 hours to travel what is now a 17-mile journey.

Insignificant places… except to those whose memories were created there. You might see the names in a story and wonder why they matter. You might run across a dot on a map that represents their location and not realize they mean anything to anyone. But they do. They tell a story. They create a history. They remind of days gone by.

Text: Micah 7:14-17

Listening to the Text

These questions are specifically designed to help you look at the text more carefully.

• How do the stories of God’s provision and care (verses 14-15) prepare Israel for their future?

• What images indicate the groveling of Israel’s enemies?

Applying What We’ve Heard

These questions are to help you see how the text applies to you and others.

• Describe a time when you’ve seen God’s care and provision. 

• How did that prepare you for some future experience?

• Why is it important to know that God wins in the long run?

Pray:

God, you have always been gracious to provide for us. You’ve given us life sustaining provisions as well as forgiveness of sins. You’ve made sure we are cared for at every turn. Please, receive from us this commitment to not be forgetful and complacent about such kindness. You are incredibly good and we know that. Father, we don’t want to become like your enemies so we intend to stay faithful to you. Jesus, help us in our commitments. Holy Spirit, walk with us in this journey. Remind us when we are taking your provisions and care for granted. Amen.

Listening to Jesus

Read: Luke 23:26-30

At the crucifixion, Jesus looked ahead to a time when people would wish to hide from God. They would be so frightened of His presence that they would wish for the mountains to fall upon them. It would be far better if they would simply recognize Him and not turn their back on Him.

Responding in Life

• Spend some time praying for your group.

Micah 7:8-13

2013 featured two movies about the White House being under attack. Olympus Has Fallen featured Gerard Butler as a disgraced agent who finds himself seeking to protect POTUS (President of the United States). In White House Down, it’s Channing Tatum proving himself as a capable officer in protecting the President.

Each movie has a similar theme and plot. In one, it’s a North Korean terrorist group that attacks the White House and successfully captures the facility. In the other, it’s a paramilitary group that seizes control. In both, the plot revolves around destroying the greatest nation on the planet by destroying the leader and the government of that nation. Each group has its own agenda, but the plot is essentially the same.

As one website puts it, they are the same movie.

While movies like this are (hopefully) filled with intense action and suspense, it’s the underlying theme that strikes directly into the heart of most Americans. “No one attacks us and gets away with it.” We don’t accept this kind of treatment. Not in the movies…not in reality.

Post 9-11 should have taught us all that lesson. In a matter of hours, attacks were ready to go. Within weeks and months, targets had been acquired and destroyed. In the end, those who were considered the leaders of such insanity were intentionally taken out of the picture.

Admittedly there are multiple opinions about all of this. Should we act in this vengeful way? Is this vengeance or justice? Do we have the right to retaliate? Should we have anticipated the action against us and attacked first?

None of which is currently under discussion. What these movies and the reality of 9-11 shows us is that you can’t mock a powerful nation and get away with it. You shouldn’t even try. 

Text: Micah 7:8-13

Listening to the Text

These questions are specifically designed to help you look at the text more carefully.

• Israel’s enemies should not gloat, since God will extend forgiveness to Israel, even though she sinned. Underline the images that indicate God’s gracious actions.

• What do the “from…to” statements indicate about how God will treat Israel?

• What causes desolation?

Applying What We’ve Heard

These questions are to help you see how the text applies to you and others.

• How does it make you feel, when according to verse 9, God is the one who pleads the sinner’s cause?

• How does the promise of God’s expanding Israel’s boundaries encourage you today?

Pray:

Holy Spirit, these words you have spoken are so encouraging. Often all we can see is our sinfulness and that leaves us in despair. Yet you remind us that the Father is the One who speaks for us. He provides us with grace and mercy. Even as Israel lived in the hope that one day she would be back to her once glorious stature, we live believing that you, Father, will give us an abundant life, full of grace and mercy. We are grateful for your constant care, made so incredibly clear in Jesus. And, Jesus, thank you for making our relationship with the Father and Spirit possible. Amen.

Listening to Jesus

Read: Matthew 27:32-44.

As you read, knowing the end of the story, you almost feel sorry for the mockers. They don’t know any better than to insult Jesus. But they still shouldn’t do it. He will return from the dead. Fortunately for them, He doesn’t exact vengeance. He actually loves His mockers.

Responding in Life

• Have coffee with someone and discuss the connection of Micah 7 and Matthew 27.

Micah 7:1-7

Joey grew up loved and cared for. He was part of a happy family living in a pleasant community. Joey went to church and loved Jesus. Joey was living a life that many would envy; not because of an abundance of stuff, but because of an abundance of love.

But something happened; something Joey could never quite explain. It was almost a pivotal change, not a slow regression. It was as if he’d turned a page on a calendar and life was suddenly very different. He felt as if everything was in turmoil and his life was empty and meaningless.

He would describe it to others as going to the grocery store only to discover the shelves were bare. There was no produce in the fresh foods department. The meat cases were filled with ice but no meat. The freezers were warm and barren of any packages. Nothing he’d expect to find would be there.

Or he’d dream of going for a drive through the countryside, except there was no scenery. It wasn’t that there were no leaves on trees or grass on lawns; there were no lawns, no trees, no landscape. It was like looking into a fog; there…but not really there. Almost like watching an episode of Twilight Zone.

Joey had friends…family…community. He had a good job where he liked his co-workers, even his boss. But then, suddenly, he couldn’t trust anyone. It was like a giant conspiracy against him. He dared not talk to anyone, confide anything in anyone, or spend time with anyone. He felt deeply abandoned and alone.

In fact, in his attempts to explain these deep, ugly, painful feelings, he felt as if he were digging a deeper and deeper pit into which he must one day fall and remain. It was frightening him badly.

Just as suddenly as Joey turned the page into this sense of abandonment, Joey turned around. He found himself in worship and realized that even if all these deep feelings were true, even if there was no one he could trust, even if the store shelves remained forever bare, he was really never alone. He’d heard a voice that finally found its way to the surface. It said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Text: Micah 7:1–7 (ESV) 

Listening to the Text

These questions are specifically designed to help you look at the text more carefully.

• Micah describes the depth of social disintegration as being so thorough we can’t even trust our most trusted connections. Underline those images in verses 5-6.

• What is the basis for the hope expressed in verse 7?

Applying What We’ve Heard

These questions are to help you see how the text applies to you and others.

• How do you imagine it would feel to live in a situation where no one can be trusted?

• Micah found confidence in knowing that God hears. What is it about God that gives you confidence? 

Pray:

Jesus, many of us live in a context where we don’t feel we can trust even our closest friends and family. You experienced that even among your disciples. Thank you for not giving up. Please help us not to get discouraged, but to find confidence in you. You are dependable, loving and kind. Father, we trust you when we can’t trust anyone else. In your righteousness, you uphold the standards of correct conduct. In your mercy, you overlook our failures. We’re grateful. Holy Spirit, move us to be as faithful as Jesus and the Father. Encourage us with your presence so we never feel alone. Amen.

Listening to Jesus

Read: John 10:22-29

No matter what the evil one might like to do to Jesus’ disciples, not even he can tear us away from Jesus. We are promised safety and sanctity in His hands. So long as we choose to be with Jesus, He will never leave us nor forsake us. No one can take us from Him.

Responding in Life

• Who in your group seems to need a word of encouragement? Call them. Text them. Go see them.

Micah 7:1-20 (overview)

January 22, 2019 may go down in the annals as the worst day in American history. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo deliberately chose that day, the day marking the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, to sign the most controversial abortion law ever passed on American soil. That day, a law that allows abortion at any point prior to birth, was celebrated with smiling faces and the lighting of One World Trade Center in the color pink.

One World Trade Center stands on the site of the twin towers where the vicious, unconscionable terrorist attack occurred on September 11, 2001. There, that day, nearly 3,000 Americans lost their lives. Hundreds of first responders became heroes. Millions of Americans mourned the loss and vehemently hated the atrocity. It is marked in American history alongside December 7, 1941.

And New York had the audacity to light it in celebration of the potential for killing thousands and thousands of innocents who might be but minutes from birth. The irony cannot go unmet without incredulity. How did we ever get this far down the moral slippery slope? Surely, no civilized country with morally sensible citizens could let this happen.

Yet happen it did.

There may or may not be an uprising in Albany, New York over this. There may or may not be protests on the American soil of Washington, D.C. or anyplace else. But we can all rest assured, not everyone celebrated. We can know, without question, that One noticed for sure. He is an advocate of life. He values the life of both mother and child. He mourns over the loss of any life.

And God values all life, even the life that has been in rebellion to Him. God will certainly exact justice…of that we can all be certain. But He will also extend mercy. Those who long to know God can come back to God no matter who they are or what they’ve done.

Text: Micah 7:1–20 (ESV) 

Woe! Disintegration all around… Repentance?

¹ Woe is me! For I have become 

as when the summer fruit has been gathered, 

as when the grapes have been gleaned: 

there is no cluster to eat, 

no first-ripe fig that my soul desires. 

² The godly has perished from the earth, 

and there is no one upright among mankind; 

they all lie in wait for blood, 

and each hunts the other with a net. 

³ Their hands are on what is evil, to do it well; 

the prince and the judge ask for a bribe, 

and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul; 

thus they weave it together. 

⁴ The best of them is like a brier, 

the most upright of them a thorn hedge. 

The day of your watchmen, of your punishment, has come; 

now their confusion is at hand. 

⁵ Put no trust in a neighbor; 

have no confidence in a friend; 

guard the doors of your mouth 

from her who lies in your arms; 

⁶ for the son treats the father with contempt, 

the daughter rises up against her mother, 

the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 

a man’s enemies are the men of his own house. 

⁷ But as for me, I will look to the LORD; 

I will wait for the God of my salvation; 

my God will hear me. 

However. Continued confidence

⁸ Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; 

when I fall, I shall rise; 

when I sit in darkness, 

the LORD will be a light to me. 

⁹ I will bear the indignation of the LORD 

because I have sinned against him, 

until he pleads my cause 

and executes judgment for me. 

He will bring me out to the light; 

I shall look upon his vindication. 

¹⁰ Then my enemy will see, 

and shame will cover her who said to me, 

“Where is the LORD your God?” 

My eyes will look upon her; 

now she will be trampled down 

like the mire of the streets. 

There’s coming a day…

¹¹ A day for the building of your walls! 

In that day the boundary shall be far extended. 

¹² In that day they will come to you, 

from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, 

and from Egypt to the River, 

from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain. 

¹³ But the earth will be desolate 

because of its inhabitants, 

for the fruit of their deeds. 

God is worthy of all honor and attention…

¹⁴ Shepherd your people with your staff, 

the flock of your inheritance, 

who dwell alone in a forest 

in the midst of a garden land; 

let them graze in Bashan and Gilead 

as in the days of old. 

¹⁵ As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt, 

I will show them marvelous things. 

¹⁶ The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might; 

they shall lay their hands on their mouths; 

their ears shall be deaf; 

¹⁷ they shall lick the dust like a serpent, 

like the crawling things of the earth; 

they shall come trembling out of their strongholds; 

they shall turn in dread to the LORD our God, 

and they shall be in fear of you. 

Who is like you, God?

¹⁸ Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity 

and passing over transgression 

for the remnant of his inheritance? 

He does not retain his anger forever, 

because he delights in steadfast love. 

¹⁹ He will again have compassion on us; 

he will tread our iniquities underfoot. 

You will cast all our sins 

into the depths of the sea. 

²⁰ You will show faithfulness to Jacob 

and steadfast love to Abraham, 

as you have sworn to our fathers 

from the days of old. 

Listening to the Text

These questions are specifically designed to help you look at the text more carefully.

• How do the metaphors in verses 2-4 illustrate the barrenness of verse 1?

• What response to the disintegrating society does Micah recommend in verse 5-6?

• How does the confidence expressed in verses 8-13 reflect the confidence seen in verse 7?

• What images in verse 8-13 indicate Israel will be freed from exile?

• What answers are given to the question, “Who is a God like you?” (v18-20)?

Applying What We’ve Heard

These questions are to help you see how the text applies to you and others.

• In what ways do you see our society disintegrating?

• What have you seen God do that gives you confidence that He is still involved in our lives?

• How do you answer the question, “Who is a God like you?”

• How would you describe Him?

Pray:

Caring creator, we recognize the dismal condition of our culture. Our society is disintegrating all around us. We look for good qualities in people with the futility we might feel as we look for crops after the harvest. Father, we know you don’t give up. You redeemed Israel from bondage in Egypt and exile in Babylon. And you’ve sent your Son to redeem us from our bondage as well. Jesus, thank you for kindly freeing us from sin, guilt, addiction and all the rest. We are indebted to you forever. Holy Spirit, connect our spirit with yours in the heart of the Father. Help us be faithful, no matter what society does. We are committed to staying the course with you. Amen.

Listening to Jesus

Read: John 14:15-24

Jesus promises to never leave His people without His presence. Because we belong to God through Christ, the Holy Spirit lives within us. He connects us to the Father. God simply doesn’t give up on His people. 

Responding in Life

• Call or go visit someone who needs a simple reminder that they are cared for.

Text: Micah 6:1–16 (ESV)

Israel is called to court

¹ Hear what the Lord says: Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. 

The accusation

² Hear, you mountains, the indictment of the Lord, and you enduring foundations of the earth, for the Lord has an indictment against his people, and he will contend with Israel. ³ “O my people, what have I done to you? How have I wearied you? Answer me! 

Proof offered

⁴ For I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. ⁵ O my people, remember what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord.” 

The people’s defense

⁶ “With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? ⁷ Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” 

What God requires

⁸ 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? 

Destruction is coming

⁹ The voice of the Lord cries to the city— and it is sound wisdom to fear your name: “Hear of the rod and of him who appointed it! ¹⁰ Can I forget any longer the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is accursed? ¹¹ Shall I acquit the man with wicked scales and with a bag of deceitful weights? ¹² Your rich men are full of violence; your inhabitants speak lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth. 

¹³ Therefore I strike you with a grievous blow, making you desolate because of your sins. 

¹⁴ You shall eat, but not be satisfied, and there shall be hunger within you; you shall put away, but not preserve, and what you preserve I will give to the sword. ¹⁵ You shall sow, but not reap; you shall tread olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil; you shall tread grapes, but not drink wine. 

Because

¹⁶ For you have kept the statutes of Omri, and all the works of the house of Ahab; and you have walked in their counsels, that I may make you a desolation, and your inhabitants a hissing; so you shall bear the scorn of my people.” 

Micah 6:16

Just the name Cruella de Vil is enough to make you shudder. Whether you’re reading the 1956 novel by Dodie Smith, enjoying the 1961 Disney animated movie, or the more recent, 1996 live action film, Cruella warrants the loathing she receives by viewers. She is aptly named for the quality of her character.

Who could possibly dream up so dastardly a deed as turning cute little Dalmatian puppies into fur coats? Cruella…cruel, heartless, Cruella. She’s a character we love to hate because her plans are so decidedly evil.

As the story unfolds, Cruella is able to steal 84 Dalmatian puppies and hide them on her estate. But she’s not satisfied. She also has to have Pongo and Perdy’s 15 pups. In the ensuing action, she manages to steal the pups while Pongo and Perdy are being walked in the park. But the dogs escape and Cruella has to try to recapture them.

Cruella manages to find the farm where the dogs are hiding and she sets out to capture them once again. As the viewers all want, Cruella is completely outwitted by the pups. In her attempts to catch them she ends up in a vat of molasses. And, if that were not enough, she falls through the window into a pig sty (fitting location for her). Shortly after that, the constabulary comes and arrests Cruella and her henchmen, Jasper, Horace and Skinner. In one final, fitting event, Cruela picks up what she thinks is her purse, only to be sprayed by a skunk in the back of the police van.

Cruella gets what she deserves. She’s ultimately given what she has coming and movie goers get the feeling of justice being achieved.

Text: Micah 6:16

Listening to the Text

These questions are specifically designed to help you look at the text more carefully.

• Read 1 Kings 16:25, 26, 30-33. What are the key sins of Kings Omri and Ahab?

• God intended His people to be a blessing, instead, they were a hissing. How might have God felt about that reversal?

Applying What We’ve Heard

These questions are to help you see how the text applies to you and others.

• Describe a time when a loved one didn’t live up to your hopes and expectations. How did you feel?

• How do you suppose God feels when we fail to live up to His desire for us?

Pray:

Father, those of us who are parents sometimes feel the sting of disappointment. Our children do what we hope they won’t do. They fail to do what we long for them to do, and it hurts. You must hurt terribly. We, your children, seem to constantly fall short of what you dreamed for us. Instead of our neighbors seeing us as a blessing, they hiss at our low values and faulty life. Forgive us. God, we want to bring a favorable impression of you to our world. We want people to love you. So, Jesus, clean us up, please. Re-create us into the image you desire. Move us to look like you. Spirit, empower us to follow closely what you desire. Speak to us, as often as necessary, that we might faithfully present the Father with a quality life. Amen.

Listening to Jesus

Read: John 8:39-47

We reflect our parentage even as Jesus did. He looked like and acted like His Father. In this case, He was accusing others of looking like their father as well. Since they were guilty of doing evil, they must have an evil father. We become what we worship, and they were worshiping like those who did not know God.

Responding in Life

• Spend time with a friend and talk about whether or not your life is reflecting our Father in Heaven.

• Confess to that friend where you need to grow and develop. 

Micah 6:9-15

For years Paul thought the word shyster was a swear word. It was certainly always used in a negative way with lots of emotion attached to it. In fact, about the only sentences it occurred in was the recurring lines, “Those shyster lawyers nearly cost us everything.” Or, “Those shysters got what they had coming to them.”

After Paul graduated from college he moved his family to Colorado to start working in a construction company. Not too long after he moved, his parents decided it was time to sell their little soda shop. It was a quaint, vintage fountain. The counter was marble with many antique fixtures. It was a classic, old time, small town, memorable location. But, they really needed to sell. Age and finances were such that they were going to need the money from the sale to be able to survive.

Because Paul grew up in a small town, selling a business was not an easy proposition. His parents finally sold on a risky contract for deed arrangement. The paperwork was set up in such a way that none of the vintage equipment, the marble bar, nor the antique advertising pieces that decorated the walls could be sold until the business was completely paid for.

After a few months the buyers stopped making payments. Paul’s parents wrote letters appealing to them to stay current. They made phone calls to try to encourage them to make their payments. Finally, after a while, they decided to go into the shop and confront the buyers personally. What they found was shocking. The marble counter with its vintage stools was gone. The antique equipment was gone. The vintage posters were gone. Everything of value had been stripped from the shop and sold.

In what the family thought would be an open and shut case, turned into a long and drawn out judicial event. The lawyers that were hired never seemed prepared. They certainly did not appear to do their job in or out of the courtroom. Finally, a judge issued the ruling. Paul’s parents would have to resume ownership of the fountain. The loss of equipment was unfortunate, but the buyers were not liable. The lost payments would not be repaid and Paul’s parents would be responsible for all the court costs. 

Thus, those “shyster lawyers.” Even though they looked into it, they realized that going after the lawyers legally would cost the family so much that even if they won, they’d lose. So, they took the shop back, sought to rebuild the business and started over. It was taxing and hard on the family. A few years later, they sold to some honest buyers and were able to move into retirement.

It was later discovered that those “shyster lawyers” had been paid off by the unscrupulous buyers. They were heavily fined, disbarred from ever practicing law again, and barely escaped going to jail. There was no monetary recovery for Paul’s family, but there was a deeply satisfying sense of justice.

Text: Micah 6:9-15

Listening to the Text

These questions are specifically designed to help you look at the text more carefully.

• What does the first question asked (v10) tell you about God’s grace?

• What actions does God condemn among His people?

• What do the images in verses 14-15 tell you will happen to God’s rebellious people?

Applying What We’ve Heard

These questions are to help you see how the text applies to you and others.

• Why are issues of justness and fairness so important for God’s people?

• How do you feel when you read of God withholding from us those results/rewards we might naturally expect to experience?

Pray:

God of patience, you bear with us so long and so patiently. It’s honestly surprising that you don’t reach a point of action much sooner. We are often unfair and unethical in how we do business, treat others and live in our community. Forgive us when we overlook the matters that matter to you. We seek your forgiveness that we need not experience your discipline. Jesus, you have made us new—help us to act new. Holy Spirit, move us to live by new standards: standards of right, of justice, and of compassion. Amen.

Listening to Jesus

Read: Luke 11:37-44

For Jesus, the outside of the cup wasn’t what was important. He wanted the inner motivations and values to be those that God approved. Humans tend to look too much at outward behavior and appearance and forget that what really matters is inner character. Our concern for others, especially the disenfranchised and outsiders, should be far more important than what we portray outwardly.

Responding in Life

• Take some time to reflect on God’s heart for justice. 

• Ask Him to help you heal from any injustices you’ve suffered. 

• Ask Him to search your heart and show you if there is anything unjust or unethical about the way you are relating to others.