MICAH - Light at the End of the Tunnel

Ever feel just OVERWHELMED?

Like you're in a dark valley, unable to crawl out, surrounded by troubles?

(Please tell me I'm not alone down here - dark valleys love company...)

I feel like that sometimes - I hate to admit it, but I'm one of those "glass half-empty" kind of people! And, to tell you the truth, sometimes I don't even see ANY water in the glass at all!!

Today's "Bible Pick 'Ems" comes from the book of Micah in the Old Testament. Micah was a prophet, a contemporary of Isaiah and Hosea. Amidst his prophecies of doom and gloom, Micah presents a true picture of God - the Almighty Lord who hates sin and loves the sinner.

Micah offers hope to those who turn toward a gracious God.

"As for me, I look to the LORD for help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me. Do not gloat over me, my enemies! For though I fall, I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light...The LORD will bring me into the light, and I will see his righteousness. Then my enemies will see that the LORD is on my side...with my own eyes I will see their downfall." (Micah 7:7-8, 9, 10)

All too often, circumstances and struggles really get me defeated.

I cave in, I fall down, and sometimes I give up. Darkness overcomes my spirit like a shadow. Satan finds a way to gloat over me, accusing me in my weakness, and never letting me forget that I am small. He shouts me down, and I collapse.

(I would NOT make a good contestant on "Survivor" - just sayin')

But...ALL IS NOT LOST!

Micah showed great faith in God. He proclaimed that he would wait on God because He hears and saves us when help is needed. God would bring His people through the worst circumstances, upholding them when times were tough.

We, too, can have a relationship with God that will allow us to have confidence like Micah's.

On Friday, my "Fan the Flame" word was confident.

(You can find the post on my other blog, Sharon Sharing God)

And a dear bloggy buddy left such a wonderful comment, that I'd like to reprint that here:

"I discovered that I had missed the whole point of confidence by neglecting the heart of the word: confide. We have confidence in God because we confide in him. It's really impossible to have "haughty confidence" in the truest form of the word(s) because the words are scriptural opposites. Both Hebrew and Greek words for confide are all wrapped up in trust. We would never confide in One we didn't trust completely. We tell God the deepest secret places of the heart, because He knows it anyway, and we know that not only will He cover them in silence, but that He is capable to do more than we can even think or imagine with our confidence. With God as my shield, I can fight like a warrior!!"

Oh, AMEN to that!

Yes, Micah, the light at the end of the tunnel is NOT a train!

The Light is the Glorious LORD, who is on my side.

I will not be defeated...

"For though I fall, I WILL RISE AGAIN!"

"When in doubt, search God out!"