February 2: Micah 3 9-12

Key Verse: Micah 3 11
Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they look for the Lord’s support and say, “Is not the Lord among us? No disaster will come upon us.”

Devotion:
When religion takes over, God is not left with a lot of choice but to allow religion to run its course and receive what it deserves… We are supposed to be in a relationship with God and not following rules and regulations which no longer have a place with Him. Christ came to break the walls down and release us from having to do religion! We now have a relationship with Him through which we have direct access to God and all He has promised for us.

Micah was trying to point out to the people how they had gone away from the relationship model and were now caught up in worldly ways which were taking them away from God. When we follow this path we too get caught up in the ways of the world and not God’s ways; we should not expect anything less than Micah is saying will happen to the house of Israel here!

Don’t get me wrong – we do live in the age of grace where Christ has paid for our sins and continues to be our advocate defending us all the time, but when we take up worldly ways and use God as an excuse to do those worldly things, then we are not walking with Him… we are trying to drag Him along in our sinful ways!

Ours is not to make Christianity a business or use it for political gain, our goal should be to maintain a full and proper relationship with Christ. Ours is not to judge others but to include them in what we do so the Holy Spirit can work in their hearts and bring them into the relationship we should have with Christ. Ours is not to profit from being Godly but to share with people who are in need, showing them the love of Christ can overcome all things. Ours is not to build up a congregation with our own promises but to show other people the promises of God and how they can and do come true.

Points to Ponder:
Are you working for yourself or working with God?

I’ll ask that again; are you working for yourself or working with God?