Hope for Tomorrow

It is a busy week as spring officially arrives at 10.06 at night, Tuesday night.

So Wednesday will be our first full day of spring, and I've been afraid to look

at what the forecast is, especially since I saw snowflakes on my deck this morning.

But it's also the Easter season, and for me, I don't know about any of you,

the Easter Easter season offers me hope, because spring reminds me of rebirth and new beginnings.

And when we have our trust in Christ, there's always hope.

So today we are going to look at the hope for tomorrow from Micah.

And Micah means, who is the Lord?

And this is very appropriate for him because he offers an insight into the ways of God.

Micah was a minor prophet from the small town of Moresheth.

He spoke during the times of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, the kings of Judah.

He prophesied of the fall of Samaria and Jerusalem, and his message alternates

between words of judgment, hope, God enacting justice, and displaying mercy.

He spoke of the sinfulness of the leaders of the day who exploited the poor

and oppressed the people.

And while speaking of doom to the leaders not following their responsibility

to God's law, Micah offers a message of hope, and Dave is going to read that message today.

In the last days, the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as the

highest of the mountains.

It will be exalted above the hills, and peoples will stream up to it.

Many nations will come and say, Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

to the temple of the God of Jacob.

He will teach us his ways so that we may walk in his path.

The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

He will judge between peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.

They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nations will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.

Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree,

and no one will make them afraid, for the Lord Almighty has spoken. spoken.

All the nations may walk in the name of their gods, but we will walk in the

name of the Lord, our God, forever and ever.

In that day, declares the Lord, I will gather the lame, I will assemble the

exiles, and those I have brought to grief.

I will make the lame my remnant, those driven away from a strong nation.

The Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and forever.

As for you, watchtower of the flock, stronghold of daughter Zion,

the former dominion will be restored to you.

Kingship will come to daughter jerusalem why do

you now cry aloud have you no king has your

ruler perished what pain seizes you like that of a woman in labor writhe and

agony daughter zion like a woman in labor for now you must leave the city to

camp in the open field you will go to babylon there where you will be rescued

there the lord will redeem you out of of the hand of your enemies.

But now many nations are gathered against you.

They say, let her be defiled. Let our eyes gloat over Zion.

But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord.

They do not understand his plan that he has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.

Rise and thresh, daughter Zion, for I will give you thorns of iron.

I will give you hooves of of bronze, and you will break to pieces many nations.

You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the Lord, their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.

Marshal your troops now, city of troops, for a siege is laid against you.

They will strike Israel's ruler on the cheek with a rod.

Lord, blessed is your word. Lay these words upon our heart and open our heart

and eyes that we may may see the message you have for us today,

that there is hope, hope that comes through your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Many larger churches today participate in counseling services,

trying to help individuals and families in crisis.

Micah was a servant for his people who were in crisis and saw no hope.

Many people today find it hard to see the hope in tomorrow. They seek out counselors

to get them through the crisis of today.

One of the most famous social sermons ever delivered was Martin Luther King

Jr.'s I Have a Dream sermon, in which he set forth many specific hopes he had

for the African Americans in the U.S.

In today's message, Micah projects his dream for Judah. Judah.

While Micah had just announced the downfall of Jerusalem and the destruction

of the house of the Lord on Mount Zion, he also had a vision of victory.

And that vision, you know, we may be disheartened by social injustices committed then and now.

We can be encouraged by the great promise of restoration, where peace and justice will prevail.

In verse 1, In the last days, the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established

as the highest of the mountains.

It will be exalted above the hills and peoples will stream to it.

Micah was envisioning God's absolute sovereignty and perpetual presence in the world.

Just as today, not everyone worshiped the Lord. In Micah's day, they had idols.

And today we have many idols.

I've been in church on Sundays, you know, when the Packers have a noon start

and everybody's in a rush to go home.

Why are we in such a rush to go home when we can be here and feel the presence of God as a family?

How wonderful to dream of a day when the people of the world would all worship the one true God.

I think that's a dream we all have, isn't it?

Micah saw the people of the world would worship the Lord, in verse 2,

many nations will come and say, come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

to the temple of the God of Jacob.

Micah speaks of a time when all the nations would come to Jerusalem,

not to seek Israel, but Israel's God.

The proper response to God's word is found in verse 2.

We need to learn it. The nations wouldn't come to the temple to offer offer sacrifices,

but to learn about the law of the Lord, just as we come to church on Sunday

to learn more and all we can about God and Jesus.

God's people today need to attend worship services and Bible studies to learn the word of the Lord.

And it's awesome that we actually have two Bible studies in the church,

one on Thursday morning and one on Wednesday night.

And you are all welcome them to come to one or both of them.

Because before one can obey the Bible, one needs to learn the Word and understand it.

We also need to live it. Micah longed for the day when the Word of God would

not only be known, but lived.

When people would take what the Bible teaches and act on it.

Micah also spoke of the harmony of personal relationships in verse 3.

He said he will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.

They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.

He saw interpersonal relationships being based on a relationship with the Lord. Lord.

A common faith in the Lord is the only basis for harmonious human relationships.

Micah longed for the day when people would relate to each other through a common faith.

When a church has a common mission and vision, it can move towards that goal

through a harmonious relationship, which is Christ-centered.

Have you ever noticed the people you hang around with? you hang around with

them because you have something in common with them.

You can be on a bowling team and so you hang around with them or your workplace,

you have something in common with them.

We have something common here.

It's a family, the Christian family.

A common faith in the Lord also leads to a powerful world or a peaceful world, I should say.

Micah stated that that the instruments of war would be replaced by implements of peace.

Isn't that something we all dream of? The terror of violence and battle would be no more.

Micah caught a glimpse of the world as it should be.

When the Lord returns and takes up his rule, there will be righteousness and authority.

Micah also speaks of the prevalence of vocation and security being found.

Verse 4, For everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig

tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the Lord Almighty has spoken.

The vine and fig tree are a reference to the peaceful security of the kingdom of God.

No one will make them afraid implies fear will be a thing of the past.

Harmonious relationships allow people to pursue their vocation.

Since people would no longer be involved in war, they would have more time for

productive work, which is what God originally planned.

Many of our military personnel are part-time military today.

When they're called to defend and protect our country, they have to leave their

jobs and careers for up to a year or more, and others have to cover for them. them.

When they come back, some no longer have a job and have to make alternate plans.

It disrupts their life.

The Lord would cause people to dwell in security.

The prophet looked ahead to a day when God would cause wars to cease and people

would no longer have to live in fear of their enemies.

The reason for people to live in security is because God has the capacity to

to subdue their enemies.

Micah also sees the restoration of an influence.

Verses 5 through 8, All the nations may walk in the name of their gods,

but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever.

In that day, declares the Lord, I will gather the lame, I will assemble the

exiles and those I have brought to grief.

I will make the lame my remnant, those driven away way, a strong nation.

The Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and forever.

As for you, watchtower of the flocks, stronghold of daughter Zion,

the former dominion will be restored to you.

Kingship will come to daughter Jerusalem.

Walk in the name of the Lord. We are to confess, love, obey, and rely on the Lord.

God would gather his people again to accomplish his mission.

He would use his people for his purposes.

God never intended to make just a nation.

He intended the nation to reflect his character and bring the nations to him.

Micah saw a day when God's purposes would be realized.

Verse 8, As for you, watchtower of the flock, stronghold of daughter Zion,

the former dominion will be restored to you.

Kingship will come to daughter Jerusalem.

Former dominion, the kingdom of David, will be restored under the Messiah.

God's people need to always have hope. Our days do not have to become so dark

and dismal that hope for tomorrow diminishes.

Have you ever seen someone who doesn't have hope? They don't have the faith in God.

Their life just seems so dark. It's like you can feel that darkness when you're around them.

God offers hope for each and every person.

Micah foresees the collapse of the monarchy

and the impending exile in 586 BC as

well as the restoration beginning in 538 BC

but he offers therapeutic suggestions for

times of crisis which can get us through any crisis in our life here are three

suggestions the first is keep your perspective during a time of crisis and that

can be found in verses 9 through 10 when he says Why do you now cry aloud? Have you no king?

Has your ruler perished that pain ceases you like that of a woman in labor?

Writhe in agony, daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor, for now you must leave

the city to camp in the open field.

To me, that sounds like you have no home if you're camping in an open field. You have no security.

You will go to Babylon. There you will be rescued. There the Lord will redeem

you out of the hand of your enemies.

Recognize the reality of the crisis in your life. Micah wanted Judah to be aware

of the seriousness of the problem.

He spelled out the agonies of exile.

What are the seriousnesses of the crisis in your life? No one should fail to

look at the reality of the crisis.

Sometimes we feel if we just pretend it doesn't exist, it'll just go away. way.

In order to keep perspective at a time of crisis, we need to recognize its reality.

Recognize the failure of the earthly kings and counselors.

Verse 9, why do you now cry aloud? Have you no king?

Has your ruler perished that pain ceases you like that of a woman in labor?

We see it every day with our leaders arguing amongst each other, don't we?

For many years, Judah had depended on its earthly rulers who had delivered them

from their enemies and made them a world power.

Sounds like the U.S., doesn't it? But can we really look at our rulers today?

It's like looking at the sandbox in the kindergarten. Who can do better?

Micah predicted the failure of these rulers. Maybe we trust too much in our

own earthly leaders and not not enough on God.

According to pastor, educator, and author Harold Bryson, who also.

This devotion that I got this message from, Mighty Messages from a Minor Prophet,

Hope for Tomorrow, a crisis can teach us a valuable lesson, and that only the

Lord is worthy of our trust.

In June 1986, Harold Bryson's marriage of 23 years ended abruptly.

Having returned from a trip late one night, he entered the house to find that

his wife and sons were gone.

Most of the furniture was also gone. A note on the kitchen counter read, I have decided to leave.

She gave no reason for her departure and no address for where she'd gone.

The absence of his family created shock, disbelief, numbness,

panic, hopelessness, and many other feelings.

Bryson sat in silence throughout the night. He tried to pray.

He cried. In his mind, the tragedy had not happened.

Three years later, Bryson experienced an unexpected teachable moment when he

heard Carly Simon singing, I Haven't Got Time for Pain.

The lyrics hit Bryson in a strange way. he

realized that he hadn't taken his pain honestly spiritually

theologically or practically

he had thought that the marriage would mend and the pain would go away he had

substituted fanciful imagines for hardcore realities he had tried to escape

into work he had driven his pain deeper deeper into his subconscious,

hoping that if he buried it deeply enough, he might forget it was there.

The words of Carly Simon gave him pause.

As he evaluated his futile responses to pain, he realized, you have to take

time for the pain. So he did.

In your moment of crisis, do you depend on yourself, or another person, or do you turn to God?

When I was going through my divorce, the only peace I found was to turn to my

Bible. It was the best friend I had.

And that's what we need to remember to turn to in a moment of crisis.

We need to recognize God as the ultimate deliverer.

Verse 10, Writhe in agony, daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor.

For now you must leave the city to camp in the open field.

You will go to Babylon, there you will be rescued. rescued. There the Lord will

redeem you out of the hand of your enemies.

When you turn to the Bible, God will rescue you.

Micah urged the people to keep their perspective, and God would ultimately deliver his people.

Even though God's people will go through great crisis, there is hope.

God will bring them through.

Even if death comes, God will give them a better life. The second suggestion

Micah offers is to see God to be greater than the crisis.

Verses 11 through 13.

But now many nations are gathered against you, they say. Let her be defiled,

let her eyes gloat over Zion.

But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord. They do not understand his plan,

that he has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.

Rise and thresh, daughter Zion, for I will give you horns of iron,

I will give you hoofs of bronze, and you will break to pieces many nations.

Sounds like you'll be stronger, doesn't it? You will devote their ill-gotten

gains to the Lord, their wealth to the Lord, for all the earth.

Look at who you really are. Judah considered herself strong,

but crisis has a way of humbling us.

A crisis shows us our inadequacies, putting us in the category of created rather than the creator.

God will not allow his plans to be stopped.

He wouldn't stop until he declared his way to the nations. If Israel failed,

he would turn to another.

The same is true today. If you fail to to do the work God assigned you,

he will use someone else and you will miss out on the blessings God has in store for you.

God can triumph out of great tragedy.

A crisis doesn't have to be detrimental.

God can bring good out of bad. God's people suffer bad experiences all the time.

Don't we all have bad experiences?

And many times they can only see the negative of the the situation.

Honesty, don't we all do that? We imagine the worst.

God has the power to take bad experiences of our lives and use them to build

character in his people.

The third suggestion Micah has is offers to seek the protection of God during a crisis.

Chapter 5, verse 1, Marshal your troops now, city of troops,

for a siege is laid against us.

They will strike Israel's ruler on the cheek with a rod.

The crisis of life come with great severity.

They rob us of our energy, distort our thinking, and cause great humiliation.

People without God have a serious problem during a crisis.

They feel alone. The people of Judah had given themselves to idols,

and when the crisis came, their idols failed them.

The greatest time of panic in

our lives is when the one we

put our trust in fails us in our moment of need no brightness can be gleaned

from the world only a relationship with the lord gives hope for tomorrow the

lord helps his people he may not take away our crisis we're all going to experience crisis in our life.

But he will give us the strength we need and the guidance to get us through it.

The great promise of restoration will establish a kingdom that will last forever.

We are going to celebrate that in just a couple weeks when we celebrate Christ

rising from the the dead. That's our promise.

God has not given up on us. He is with us today, tomorrow, and forever.

We just need to rely on him in our moment of crisis, because there is hope for tomorrow.

Lord, thank you, your promise of restoration, which provides hope for those

who trust in you, and forgive us for not reflecting the fear of God in our lives.

Teach us your ways that we may walk

in your paths always open our eyes

and hearts to the gifts and call you have given

us that we might share them with eagerness and gladness

may we be the salt and light to the world in jesus name amen i challenge you

now to go out into the world to be that salt and light to do the mission that

god has given only you because if you don't do it he'll He'll give it to somebody else,

and you're going to miss out. Amen.