Northeast Presbyterian Church

It sounds like the prayer of Jabez. The prophecy of Micah contains both judgment and hope, as we can see in this verse. And, as awful as the judgment is that Micah sees, the future is glorious. “In this world, you will have tribulation.”

Jesus says it; we experience it; it is part of reality. We need this “Seven-Eleven” verse as we are surrounded by our enemies; when we are over-matched and overwhelmed by our enemies. What is the best strategy for dealing with enemies? Hit them back? Get even with them? Out-muscle them? Out-flank them? We might want to try loving them and praying for them and letting them see that indeed we are the light of the world and the salt of the earth.

Let others see the Christ in us; but in the process, we need to point them to the Lord we serve; to the light that shines in our lives; to the salt that preserves us. If we persevere in suffering then we will be the overcomers that Jesus speaks of in the 7 letters to the 7 churches in Revelation. In the day that we will rebuild the walls of faith and gospel, “people will come to you from Assyria and the cities of Egypt to the Euphrates and from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.”

God makes His appeal through us; we are ambassadors for Christ; our witness will attract others because people really do seek “the way the truth and the life!” So, beware of circling the wagons as Christians; be ready to extend the walls because your boundaries will need to have far-reaching effects because of the love of Christ. It works; the love of Christ works; the love of Christ wins over our worst enemies if we will be faithful to the love of Christ even when we are persecuted.

Lord, this is the tough way to go; but it’s the right way to go because indeed it is the way of the cross; it was the way and continues to be the way of the One who prayed: “Father, forgive them; they know not what they do!” Lord, may we go and do likewise in forgiving and redeeming and reaching out love.