Psalm 97, 99; Micah 7:7-15; Acts 3:1-10; John 15:1-11
Micah is confident in the Lord. He knows that the Lord is faithful and he is willing to wait based on that belief. He has dealt with the important thing, sin against the Lord, and now he believes the Lord will be faithful to forgive that sin. Knowing the Lord is meant to be more than being able to pass a Bible test, it is meant to change our lives, to transform us. To know Him is to know His character (Exodus 34.6-7) and to know His promises. He is unchangeable, He is consistent and true, He is faithful in a way that we never are in that He is always without fail, true to His Word. Micah knows this and rests in those truths. He knows what the Lord has promised to those who turn to Him and He knows that however long it may be delayed, the outcome is certain because the Lord has promised it.
Is your life bearing fruit? For most of us that is an uncomfortable question and it isn’t easy to answer. How do we measure it? It has to mean something more than button-holing people on the street and giving them the Gospel so that they will be converted. Bearing fruit is a direct result of abiding in Jesus, resting in His love and allowing Him to be formed in you. Abiding in Him requires something of us, it requires us to be attached completely to Him through prayer, study of the Word, and fellowship with other Christians who will speak truth into our lives. Fruitfulness can be any number of things, it can mean reaching out in love to one who needs a hand to hold onto, speaking encouragement to one who needs it, spending time talking about Jesus to a child, showing love to your spouse or your children just because you love them and are thankful the Lord has given them to you, etc. All that we have to offer the world is from the overflow of our hearts from being filled in Jesus by spending time with Him.
Peter spoke with the same unshakeable confidence we see in Micah. How does he know that the man will be healed? There is no shadow of doubt in his command to stand up and be healed, just as Jesus spoke to the man at the Pool of Siloam. The man stood and leaped. This man was lame from birth, his ankles and knees never worked properly and yet at Peter’s command he believed enough to try and then his joints were strong enough to leap. That is true healing! He had started his day like any other, being carried to the temple to beg from the worshippers and by late afternoon he was leaping and praising God. He no longer had to stay outside the temple but he worshipped where he was most familiar and the Lord received all the praise.
Hail, the Lord of earth and Heaven, Alleluia!
Praise to Thee by both be given, Alleluia!
Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia!
Hail, the resurrection, thou, Alleluia!
King of glory, Soul of bliss, Alleluia!
Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!
Thee to know, Thy power to prove, Alleluia!
Thus to sing and thus to love, Alleluia!
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