November 4

Micah 6
“Each blade of grass whispered to the other, “The king of Togo Togo has two horns!” You may have heard the old African fable which was used to teach children the value of keeping secrets. When God made His covenant with Israel, He used the covenant form of the cultural day. Part of that form was to call witnesses who would be able to come back later and witness both the covenant and its violation. He called the mountains and hills to be witnesses when He made his covenant with Israel. God is calling in His witnesses. The violation of the covenant can no longer be ignored. In the court room, He asks, “How have I wearied you?”
How could we ever be weary of a God whose glory is as great as our God's glory? It is simple; we put our eyes on something that is not His glory. Oh we may think it is, but it is not. Someone I know who became a Christian as an adult said that one of the things that turns her family off toward the church is that it is “cheesy.” Why is it “cheesy?” maybe because it is that we have exchanged the glory of our Lord for a cheap imitation. Oh it has many of the right words, but the Spirit of power behind the words is not there because His glory is not preeminent.
He fills out the problem a little later on in the passage: v.8 He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God? Inwardly, they had forgotten justice. Their material possessions were more important than their obedience to the Lord in dealing with the poor, the widows and the orphan. Outwardly, they showed no mercy or pity upon the destitute. Upwardly, they thought the outward performance of the commanded sacrifices made them right before God. How had God wearied them? He hadn’t. They settled for a cheap imitation and refused to come to the true fountain of life.
It is God’s glory that He stands with arms open commanding us to return. When we put our eyes on something else, we may be fooled, but the world smells a cheap imitation immediately, and the world whispers to each other, “The church of Jesus Christ has two horns.” Lord, let me not be fooled with the imitation. Keep my heart hot to pursue Your glory! I easily forget justice and abandoned mercy. I easily become proud before You. Forgive me Lord, and let Your glory shine in me! Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john