Focus

Pay attention to the tension in your body. Let go of it and any expectations to do anything other than God’s will today. Prepare yourself to hear God’s word.

---

Read

Micah 5:2-9 (NRSV)

But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.
Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
to the people of Israel.
And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the LORD,
in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth;
and he shall be the one of peace.

If the Assyrians come into our land
and tread upon our soil,
we will raise against them seven shepherds
and eight installed as rulers.
They shall rule the land of Assyria with the sword,
and the land of Nimrod with the drawn sword;
they shall rescue us from the Assyrians
if they come into our land
or tread within our border.

Then the remnant of Jacob,
surrounded by many peoples,
shall be like dew from the LORD,
like showers on the grass,
which do not depend upon people
or wait for any mortal.
And among the nations the remnant of Jacob,
surrounded by many peoples,
shall be like a lion among the animals of the forest,
like a young lion among the flocks of sheep,
which, when it goes through, treads down
and tears in pieces, with no one to deliver.
Your hand shall be lifted up over your adversaries,
and all your enemies shall be cut off.

---

Reflect

Reading this scripture from Micah, I am reminded of the advice “Do not judge a book by its cover.” It also causes me to recall how teams were often chosen when I was in school. Usually the most popular or most skilled kids were picked first, leaving smallest or least athletic to be chosen last. But God does not look at outward appearances. God knows what is inside a person. The person God chooses is not always the most athletic or the most popular. God may raise up the most unlikely of persons and use them to bring forth the Kingdom of God here on earth. That most unlikely of persons may be you or me.

We should be open to hearing God’s call for our lives, but also to the reality that God may be calling a person who does not appear to be qualified. Let’s not fall into the trap of judging a book by its cover.

---

Pray

Gracious God, help us to be open to your calling for us. Help us not to judge others, recognizing the value of all people. Amen.

Go with God.