Micah 7:7 But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord,
I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear me.
The circumstances Micah has just described are sad indeed, and all too familiar for many. We are created as social animals, and when we can no longer trust the people around us it is truly devastating. However, God is not like that, and this is Micah’s declaration of faith. His first step is fundamental: he chooses to look at God rather than at the people around him, or even at himself. We ourselves are polluted by the society we live in, and aren’t reliable standards of righteousness and justice. God, on the other hand, is totally pure and reliable, so He is our reference point by which to evaluate everything else. That’s why pride is out of the question, because we can never measure up to Him. Everything He does for us is grace, and it is only by the atoning sacrifice of His Son that we are able to stand before Him. That said, Jesus has indeed made the ultimate sacrifice for us, so if we anchor our faith in Him, we can truly “approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16) That’s why Micah, who didn’t yet know of the cross and resurrection of Jesus, could say that he would wait in hope for the God of his salvation. We do have the New Testament Gospel, so we have all the more reason to rest in the assurance that Micah expresses here.
Because of the family environment in which I was raised, I’ve always had a bedrock knowledge that God was trustworthy, but I have still had times of not being sure He would act in the ways I desired. I’m still learning that His plans are always better than mine! From time to time I am reminded of the statement attributed to Einstein: “Two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity. And I’m not so sure about the universe.” I have certainly demonstrated stupidity more times and in more ways than I could count, regardless of the IQ. As I told my students many times, when teaching Medical English, I don’t have confidence – written in Japanese as “self faith” – but assurance, because I have betrayed myself more times than I could count, but God is always reliable. I am trustworthy only to the degree that submit to and obey my God. When I get puffed up in myself, I’m no more solid than cotton candy. However, when I abide in my Lord, His character is manifested in me, and that’s what I desire.
Father, thank You for this reminder. With the US election coming up tomorrow, many people are afraid of what happened in the recent Brazilian election. Humanly speaking, that’s a possibility, so every believer needs to look to You and vote in obedience to You. Help all Your children trust in You, and not in the candidates themselves, so that Your purposes may be accomplished as You desire, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!
