Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness,the LORD will be a light to me. Micah 7:8 [esv]
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It is so encouraging to reflect on the fact that God affirms through His Word that He knows we are “only human.” He knows our short-comings, our weaknesses, our faulty tendencies. As in Micah 7:8, God affirms throughout Scriptures that He understands that we are not perfect, that we fall short of His glory, that we stumble, we struggle, we come up short, we suffer defeat, and that we “fall and sit in darkness.” God is not in denial of this fact and so we should not be either. This is the love and grace of God!
But, far from being an excuse or “clause” for us to remain defeated, lost, or unchanged in our sinful habits or displaced from God’s plan for our lives, the fruit of God’s love, grace and comfort is: confidence, perseverance, victory and holiness. God’s grace is not an “end” but rather a “means” to His end.
If Micah 7:8 were the plot of a short story, the climatic end is not when our protagonist finds himself “fallen and sitting in darkness.” Rather, the story rises and pushes forward as “The Great Hero”[God] enters into the plot, saves our narrator, and lifts this main character [you & I] to the ultimate end which is a state of shared triumphant glory with The Great Hero Himself.
Here are some practical applications of how Micah 7:8, and similar verses, can and should impact our lives:
ONE. More confidence to draw near to God.
TWO. More love and praise for God.
THREE. More joy in Christ.
FOUR. More victory through Christ.
FIVE. More perseverance
SIX. More hope to fulfill our calling & destiny
So if you are among those desiring to live faithful to God because you’re in love in with HIm, take courage and comfort today! Now matter how many times you “fall” or you find yourself “sitting in darkness” His grace abounds all the more!
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