Micah 7:4b-6
The day God visits you has come,
the day your watchmen sound the alarm.
Now is the time of your confusion.
5 Do not trust a neighbour;
put no confidence in a friend.
Even with the woman who lies in your embrace
guard the words of your lips.
6 For a son dishonours his father,
a daughter rises up against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law –
a man’s enemies are the members of his own household.
Yesterday, we thought about the way in which evil seems to go on unchallenged, and we wonder what God is doing about it. Today’s verses remind us that he doesn’t turn a blind eye. Sooner or later, those who rebel against him will have to give an account of their actions. Those who live as if God wasn’t there will find themselves face to face with him.
When that day comes, it’s no good relying on other people to get you out of trouble. However good our neighbour is, however close our friend is, however much our family members love us, none of them will be able to talk God out of his just verdict against us when we are rightly condemned as rebels. None of them will be strong enough to fend off his anger at the way we have treated him. On that day, human help will be no help at all.
There is only one person who we can rely on to save us from God’s just judgement. Jesus alone is able to rescue us from the penalty of our sin. Other people may love us wonderfully well in all kinds of ways, but we can’t rely on them to do what only Jesus can do. So today let’s thank him that he is willing and able to save us and ask for his help to keep relying on him alone as our hope of salvation.
