Day 257, or September 14. Our God cares. Our thoughts today are rooted in Micah 1 verse
3. Look! The Lord is coming from his dwelling place. He comes down and treads on the heights
of the earth.
Now the big picture surrounding this verse. Micah ministers primarily to the southern tribe
of Judah, and in particular Jerusalem. He also addresses those far and near, with words
for Samaria to his north, as well as Judah where he lives. Micah prophesies at the same
time as Isaiah, and is a witness to the northern tribes being scattered by the invading Assyrians.
During Micah's time, Hosea warns the northern tribes of what is to come, but they give him
a hard time and refuse to listen. It is possible that the ministry of Micah was part of the
build-up, ensuring a good response to Hezekiah's reforms towards the end of the prophet's
lifetime.
And now our action step for today. As part of the ministry of Micah, he was given the
privilege of reminding his fellow Jews that our God is a God who cares, cares enough to
come down to us from His dwelling place. The gods of the pagan nations surrounding God's
people were distant and demanded their followers come to them. Our God is so much more than
a supreme Creator. He is a warm, caring Father. The Bible tells us that we have a Savior who
knows how we feel. Isn't it comforting when you meet someone who has time for you and
is willing to listen to you as though you were important? We have a God like that. Micah
reminds the people that God is willing to reach down to each of us. When you feel totally
rejected today, God is always willing to listen. More than that, as His followers, we ought
to be good listeners too. Too often we are advice-givers when instead folk want to be
listened to. Listening is a great ministry and you don't need to know a lot to do it.
If you wonder if this works, try visiting folk who live alone and just keep quiet. Let
them talk. It's a tonic for both talker and hearer.