Words of Hope -- January 26th, 2014 Rot-Free Life by: Adam Stout Summertime in northern Illinois wouldn’t be complete without sweet corn. A couple of days ago, I husked an ear of corn. One end was rotten and worm-filled. So, I put it on my plate and started eating it, right? Wrong. I cut off that rotten end. Fresh corn and wormy corn don’t mix on my plate. Micah shows that God is too pure to have idolatry and injustice mixed in with his holy people. “I will cut off” is the common refrain of Micah 5:10-15. God is just when he cuts off sin. Sin is rot. God doesn’t allow it in his Kingdom. Much of the Old Testament speaks of God’s cleansing, purging, and purifying work. He is a Holy God—no rot allowed for his children. Unfortunately, we are disfigured and marred by our selfish decisions. We often choose to satisfy ourselves at the price of separation from God. But God’s love is deep. That is why God sent his Son to make a way to forgive our sins. He still cuts the sin out of our lives. But he doesn’t just cut off the rot and leave us like half-ears of corn. Instead, he does something miraculous; he causes our lives to grow fuller than before. That’s because God’s justice is restorative. He disciplines us in order to restore us to a state of wholeness in him. Read: Micah 5:5b, I will cut off your carved images and your pillars from among you, and you shall bow down no more to the work of your hands. (v. 13) Prayer Lord, we thank you for discipline that leads to healing. Amen.
Posted on: Sun, 26 Jan 2014 12:04:59 +0000