Month: January 2026

Micah 6:6-8 NKJV

Have you ever disobeyed God? Before you answer, remember Rom. 8:23: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Micah continued to prophesy about God’s controversy with His people; they failed to obey Him and live righteously as He demanded. 

In this passage Micah showed Israel, the defendant in this symbolic courtroom narrative, asking questions about the kind of offerings to bring before the Lord in worship. They have just been sharply reprimanded for being ungrateful to God who graciously cared for them and protected them from the curses of Balaam. At this point Israel appears to be deeply concerned about how they may humbly please God and turn His anger from them to avoid His pending judgments. “With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, With calves a year old” (v.6)? “Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul” (v.7)? Do these questions truly reflect inward repentance or mere outward devotion?  Israel couldn’t please God in the flesh with costly, sacrificial rituals to make up for sin, and neither can believers today. God wants   sincere and obedient hearts of love. 

As the imaginary court continued, the prophet responded to the questions: “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” (v.8)? Today, are you walking according to God’s righteousness?

Lift your voice and shout, “Glory!”

Micah 6:4-5 NKJV

Being God’s covenant people, Israel’s duty was to be loyal and obedient to Him so their character would reflect His righteousness. Their failure to uphold their covenant duties resulted in God calling them to be accountable for their actions. At the start of the trial, the Lord began His prosecution of the case He brought against the people by challenging them with rhetorical questions and the opportunity to defend themselves against the controversy He has with them (v.3). There comes a time when a father must call his children’s remembrance to what He has done for them; how kind and gracious He has been. 

As God continued setting forth His case, He reminded Israel that He brought them up out of Egypt and redeemed them from the land of slavery and also sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to lead them (v.4). Clearly, they couldn’t deny that God is a deliverer; they couldn’t deny that He’s got power, neither could they deny He is a way maker. When they suffered hardship at the hands of a cruel taskmaster, God heard their cry and came to their rescue, sending them a deliverer by whose hand he redeemed them. Through a series of miraculous events, God demonstrated His power in the deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery.

“O My people, remember now what Balak king of Moab counseled,
And what Balaam the son of Beor answered him, from Acacia Grove to Gilgal, that you may know the righteousness of the Lord (v.5).” Recalling this moment in history God reminded His people to remember His faithfulness, His protection, and sovereignty that they may know His righteousness.

Lift your voice and shout, “Glory!” 

Micah 6:3 NKJV

Micah continued to prophesy about the controversy that the Lord has with Israel. He is righteous in all he does and merciful in all his acts (Psalm 145:17 GNT). He is a God of purpose and is heartbroken by His people’s lack of faith and disobedience; therefore, God, the plaintiff, brought an indictment against His people. The setting of this symbolic courtroom narrative emphasizes the seriousness of the indictment. His people are the defendants, and the Lord called on nature to be witnesses of the controversy with His people.

The trial opened in v.3 with the Lord questioning the defendants: “O My people, what have I done to you? And how have I wearied you?” Then He demanded Israel to testify against Him, not expecting an answer from them. His intent was to stir them to reflect on the kind and gracious relationship He developed with them and how they responded. Believers must understand the importance of being accountable for their actions and the consequences. “Passing the buck,” failing to accept responsibility for one’s action by passing the blame off on someone else, won’t work. Adam blamed Eve in the garden of Eden after eating from the tree of which God commanded him not to eat: “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate” (Genesis 3:12). As believers, we must recognize that our failure to obey God results in death: “for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17b). 

Lift your voice and shout, “Glory!” 

Micah 6:1-2 NKJV

In our society someone or some group often brings a lawsuit, making a formal accusation against another. Many are settled out of court while many are settled in court. Here Micah prophesied of God’s lawsuit against Israel.  Micah called the people of Israel to hear now what the Lord says: “Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice” (v.1). In other words, stand up and plead your case before the mountains and let the hills hear your voice. He treated these nonliving things of nature as if they were human, but God is purposeful in all He does.

He is the Creator; therefore, He is sovereign over all creation. When He commanded the nonliving to act, it was symbolic of His people’s need to hear and obey His Word. Now He has called them to His courtroom of judgment to allow them a chance to present their case. “Hear, O you mountains, the Lord’s complaint, And you strong foundations of the earth;For the Lord has a complaint against His people, And He will bring charges against them” (v.2). 

Scripture gives a multitude of reasons why God called nonliving objects – mountains – to be witnesses. One is their enduring nature, which is representative of His unchanging character: “For I am the LORD, I do not change” (Malachi 3:6a). Like God’s Word mountains symbolize permanence: “The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8). Like Israel God will soon call today’s believers to court to answer the charges of our injustices and spiraling moral decay. Yes, justice will prevail. 

Lift your voice and shout, “Glory!”

Luke 24:28-32

In vv. 13-27 Christ appeared to and questioned two disciples on the road to Emmaus on day three of the events that happened in Jerusalem. Their eyes were miraculously restrained so they could not recognize Him. In recounting the events they told of the apostles’ astonishment and disbelief of the women’s good news report that Jesus was not in the tomb; He was alive. So, certain of them investigated the tomb, returning with the same good news. Jesus rebuked his disciples for being slow to believe truth and explained the things about Himself found in all the Scriptures beginning at Moses and all the Prophets. 

As they approached Emmaus, Jesus acted as if He would have gone farther (v.28). Since it was late evening, almost dark the disciples urged Him to stay with them, and He did (v.29). As they sat down at the table to eat, He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them (v.30). This was the moment of revelation; their eyes were opened. They knew who He was, and He vanished from sight (v.31). And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us” (v.32)? The time they spent on the road with Jesus is a reminder to us of the importance of fellowship, walking and talking with Him. Like the disciples many of us were foolish and slow to believe the truth. However, when our eyes were spiritually opened, we came to know who Jesus is and have a relationship with Him. 

Lift your voice and shout “Glory!”