Micah 5:7 – Walking In His Promises

The remnant of Jacob will be
    in the midst of many peoples
like dew from the Lord,
    like showers on the grass,
which do not wait for anyone
    or depend on man.

Micah 5:7

If you don’t know me personally, a little known fact about me is that I’m a photographer. I’ve been one for many years photographing weddings, families, newborns and even glamour portraits, but these days I photograph product images for our business. Besides my children, one of my favorite things to photograph are things in nature. And one of my favorite lenses is my Macro lens. This lens allows me to get the close up shot while blurring out the background or capturing bokeh as the photography world calls it. I feel like I can shoot just about anything with that lens and the picture will look nice. One morning while in my backyard I noticed the morning dew on the grass.

“Oh, now that would make a beautiful shot of the water droplets against the green backdrop of the grass.”

After taking a few shots I started wondering if “dew” was referenced in the bible. Now remember, I’m one who thinks of a word and likes to see what God wants to teach me through that word in the Bible. Well… that word led me to the book of Micah and specifically the verses of Micah 5:7-8

I’ve known from my past studies that rain and water are considered blessings from the Lord. So wouldn’t dew drops which are derived from water be considered a blessing as well? I decided to dive a little further than just the immediate scripture typed up above and instead actually read the book of Micah. It’s a relatively short book in the bible with only 7 chapters to it. The book describes the impending judgement of the Lord as well as His mercy relayed to the people of Judah through the prophet Micah. Although this book looks to be one of dooms day, there was one word I noticed repeated throughout the book of Micah and that was Remnant.

Strong’s #7604: To be a remnant means “to remain” or “to be let over.” A remnant is what survives after a catastrophe. It’s found in the book of Ezra and refers to the Israelites who survived the exile and returned to the Promise Land. The prophets of the Old Testament referred it to the Israelites who survived a calamity and remained faithful to God.

Through the remnant who remained faithful to God, He would bless the world. So being a part of the “Remnant” of God was really saying something about those believers. Even after enduring hardships, catastrophes and calamities their faith remained strong and they remained faithful.

I don’t know about you but I want to be in that group….the remnant group of people. But it’s not an easy group to be a part of. These are people who remain faithful to God despite their current circumstances so I had to ask myself, “What does it look like to remain faithful to God?” Especially during a time of uncertainty like what we are facing today.

The definition of Remain:

verb

1. continue to exist, especially after other similar or related people or things have ceased to exist.
2. continue to possess a particular quality or fulfill a particular role.

The similar words associated with the word remain are some pretty strong words too.

Endure, Last, Abide, Go On, Carry On, Persist

Okay, stick with me here. Not to jump subjects but I feel like there is a debate on what’s happening in the world today with the virus. Some believe this is a wrath being poured out by God. Some say this is a sign of the end times? Yet others say this is simply a calamity whereby God is gathering His people, showing His great love for us and drawing us near for a more intimate relationship with Him.

I’ve asked myself these same questions but I can’t say which of these opinions are the right ones. It could be one or all of the above. However what I do know based on the scriptures is that God is looking for that group of people who will remain and abide in Him. Who will endure in faith, fighting against the anxieties that try to flood their mind about themselves or a loved one catching the virus. Who will carry on in faith believing that God will provide for them when they just lost their job or had to close their business due to the current circumstances. A group of people who know and believe God is in control despite what is happening in the world today.

God wants a remnant of people who will allow themselves to become a blessing to others by doing what is asked of them when the Holy Spirit brings to mind a person’s need. It could be picking up an extra pack of toilet paper for a neighbor who can’t make it to the store or buying a cart full of groceries when you were just laid off with no job prospects in sight. Doing either one of these things (or any numbers of tasks) because you have the faith to believe God will take care of your needs while He has asked you to take care of the needs of others.

None of us know what the future holds for us. However I’m striving to walk in the footsteps of the one who has led the way. The One who is the righteous example of how to be a part of that group called the “Remnant” and I thank God for His mercy every time I stumble. I thank Him for taking care of His beloved and as strange as it sounds I thank Him for the current circumstances we’re in regarding this virus because it gives me another opportunity to exercise my faith. God promises to be faithful to those who love Him and one of the many (and probably the greatest) ways we can show our love to Him is through our faith in Him.

So what about you….does this sound like a group you want to be part of? A promise you want to lay hold of?

Blessings for a Sweet week!
Amanda