To be great in anything, you have to be all in. You can’t just talk about it, you have to be about it. Your thoughts and actions have to match your hopes and dreams.
When we consistently make good choices, good things happen. When we consistently make bad decisions, bad things tend to happen.
Have a goal, then make sure your thoughts, words, and actions match that goal.
Micah was a prophet known for bringing a message of judgment and restoration. He was vocal in his demands of justice for the poor and struggling, and he preached against at lashed out at greedy judges who made money from unjust bribes while ignoring true justice and mercy.
Micah told the Israelites that they would be destroyed. He said God will send foreign powers to punish his children because of idolatry (Micah 1:7) and social injustice in the land. It was a prosperous time when some people became very wealthy, and the rich people oppressed the poor (Micah 2:1-2).
God has a goal for us all, and when we don’t obey Him, we receive punishment.
The people thought that just because they were Israelites and the descendants of Abraham, they wouldn’t be punished (Micah 2:6-7 and Micah 3:11). They believed in external religion. They believed that all that God requires is that we periodically go through some external, religious ritual and that would be enough. They would go to church and give their tithes and offerings, and because they were the ethnic descendants of Abraham, they thought that would be enough to get them into heaven while the rest of the week, they would do whatever they wanted.
God is patient with us. He doesn’t punish our sins immediately. He gives us time and opportunity to change, but we can’t take the patience for granted. Because he is patient doesn’t mean he won’t punish us. His patience gives us time to repent and change (Romans 2:4-5).
We can’t do a couple of good things and then go and do what we want.
Jesus tells us to make sure that we are as clean on the inside and in our thoughts and hearts as we are on the outside with our words and actions (Matthew 23:25-28).
Know who you want to be and what you want to do, and make sure your thoughts, words, and actions match your goals.
Reflection Questions
1 - What is one goal that you have for this week?
2 - What is one thing that you can do everyday to achieve that goal?
3 - What is one thing that can get in your way?
4 - What is one thing you can do to prevent that thing from getting in your way, or to overcome that one thing when it happens?
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