Micah 2
GREAT EXHORTATIONS

Everyone loves hearing a feel-good exhortation: God loves you; You are doing well; Keep up the good work; Don’t worry about anything you have done because God’s grace is free and lavish. Hearing an exhortation like this will buoy us up and help us feel great about our Christian life.

But what about when the exhortation is different? Every concept, every sentence, every word seems to poke us where we hurt, in places we already know (but maybe have never admitted) that we fall short of God’s glory. We are reminded of the high standard God has set and how far short we have fallen.

We like nice words, and we probably complain or criticise when we hear reproof that pokes us where it hurts – but in actual fact, we need both.

God sent his prophets to Israel and Judah because his people had fallen badly. But the people said, “Do not preach … one should not preach of such things; disgrace will not overtake us.” (Micah 2 v 6 ESV).

Sometimes we need to hear and accept hard words. Let’s not get offended or upset, but take the reproof and change to grow closer to God.

May we have the courage to accept God’s words into our hearts

With love in our Lord
Robert