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September 13 - Morning
"But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord,
I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Do not gloat over me, my enemy!
Though I have fallen, I will rise.
Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.
Because I have sinned against him,
I will bear the Lord's wrath, until he pleads my case."
- Micah 7:7-9
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| Punishment and Discipline |
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Israel’s punishment is different than that of other nations, just as punishment of God’s children
is different than that of unbelievers in that there is always a redemptive value. When unbelievers
are punished it is to destroy them and remove them from history. But, when the people of God
rebel against the Lord they are punished for the purpose of correcting and strengthening.
Hebrews calls it “discipline”:
“Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?” – Hebrews 12:7
So, Micah speaking for his people says he will watch in hope for the Lord’s corrective plan to
take place. He is waiting for “God my Savior” to appear and provide salvation and deliverance.
Then, Micah warns the unbelievers and the enemies of Israel not to gloat because Israel will rise again, but this time stronger, more disciplined, with understanding and the power of God on their
side. The same is true for believers who recover from sin. The discipline (or, punishment) they
endured has the potential to make them better than they were before because their weakness
has been exposed and corrections have been made. |
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“If the Devil were wise enough and would stand by in silence and let the gospel be preached, he would suffer
less harm. For when there
is no battle for the gospel it rusts and it finds no cause
and no occasion to show
its vigor and power.
Therefore, nothing better
can befall the gospel than
that the world should fight
it with force and cunning.”
– Martin Luther |
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A Soviet cosmonaut had
said that he had been to
outer space and did not
see God. But, American astronaut Frank Borman replied to a question after
his flight around the moon
by saying: “I did not see
Him either,…but I saw
his evidence.” |
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Shamar (Hb) - Keep (Eng) - Shamar means "guard, protect" as is seen in the priestly
blessing of Numbers 6:23-27: Tell Aaron and his sons, 'This is how you are to bless
the Israelites. Say to them: 'The Lord bless you and KEEP you.' " The original word
picture for the word shamar is a sheepfold. In the evening the shepherd would gather thorn
bushes to create a makeshift corral for his flock to spend the evening. The key to this
corral was, of course, the thorns in the gathered bushes. The thorns would protect the
sheep from predators. So, when the word shamar is translated "keep" it does not
mean "obey" initially, but means to "guard and protect."
We are told to shamar ("keep") God's commands. |
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Ancient records record that there were writings “before
the flood.” An ancient king
in Babylon wrote that
“he loved to read the writings of the age before the Flood.” Assyrian King Assurbanipal referred to “inscriptions of
the time before the Flood.” Assurbanipal had a large library assembled in Nineveh. |
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Can I identify an area in life that I have failed in because of sin or some loss I suffered because of sin?
Today I will confess unconfessed sin, seek God and wait for him to restore me.
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"The words of the reckless pierce like swords,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing."
- Proverbs 13:17 |
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| for my work |
evangelism |
revival |
Nepal - church is growing |
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| Reps & Sets is a daily Bible devotional for Christians from Generation Word Bible Teaching used each morning and evening. |
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