Warning** Do Not Do the following or allow your children to do this!
Frazzled, shaken, unstable, wobbly and obviously fluffed! This is what my poodle Angel looked like after coming out of the dryer. Not the blow dryer either! When I was a young girl I had two brothers Doug and Keith. Keith decided one day that he was going to give Angel a little ride in the dryer. He did have mercy and put the dryer on fluff. It wasn’t long, but long enough that when she came out after her ride, that she stumbled around like a wobbly newborn deer. All she wanted was to get her balance back!
Have you ever felt like that? I know I have!
Maybe it was the trauma or she was just a little strange but she never seemed to ever get her nerve back. Every time she would see Keith or get near the dryer she would start to shake. Obviously Keith felt bad, and so I had to forgive him and show him mercy.
It’s been a while since I’ve thought about Angel. but, As I listened to the message in church this morning I realized like Keith, we all do things that sometimes we regret. Like Israel we get caught in situations where we either lose our way or we stumble and shake and lose our nerve. In this case Micah was called to share with the people how they had forgotten all the wonderful things He had done and they got caught up in their own delights, or as in Angel’s case, her own bad experience.
“Stand up, plead my case before the mountains; let the hills hear what you have to say.
“Hear, you mountains, the Lord’s accusation; listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth. For the Lord has a case against his people; he is lodging a charge against Israel.”
Micah 6:1-2
The religious priests were the worst! Instead of pointing them to the only one who could save, deliver and heal them, they were telling the people what they wanted to hear in order to increase the offerings in the temple. Does this sound familiar in our pluralistic, self-centered and abusive society?
Justice – Hebrew word Mishpat “The way prescribed, rightful action.”
Mercy – Hebrew word Chesed “Kindness, goodness, loyal deeds, compassion.”
God is so relentless in His pursuit of us. He sent Micah to tell the people the truth. They had taken the wrong road and were pursuing things other than things that were unrighteous and deceitful. They had become cold, uncaring for the less fortunate, mean and arrogant.
There are times when I find myself in situations where if I’m not careful I begin to do and say the wrong things. I don’t set a good example of justice and mercy. In my mind, I can put people in the dryer and intenionally turn the temperature to high heat.
God wants us to be humble and upright before Him. He wants us to exhibit His character and to help those in need, the widows, the orphans, the backslidden and distressed. He wants us to love our enemies and not expect anything in return. The amazing thing about God is that He knows we can’t do this on our own. So when we come to Him and ask Him for help, He is faithful to supply and empower us with His love. This is what Micah was trying to get through to the people.
“God opposes the proud but shows favor tothehumble.”
I’m sure some of us can say, can’t believe this happened to me! Our world gets rocked and shaken. We are trembling, fearful, and weary. We are out of balance and maybe we can’t even think straight. We need to help one another to get back on God’s track. We need each other.
God has got us! He is pursuing us relentlessly, no matter what. The enemy is defeated and there is no way he can overcome us if we abide in Jesus.
Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. 19 You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. 20 You will be faithful to Jacob, and show love to Abraham, as you pledged on oath to our ancestors in days long ago.
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