Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.
Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the Lord Almighty has spoken. All the nations may walk in the name of their gods, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever. “In that day,” declares the Lord, “I will gather the lame; I will assemble the exiles and those I have brought to grief. I will make the lame my remnant, those driven away a strong nation. The Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and forever. As for you, watchtower of the flock, stronghold of Daughter Zion, the former dominion will be restored to you; kingship will come to Daughter Jerusalem.”

So much is communicated in this prophetic word from Micah. Early in this book, the prophet speaks words of woe and disaster, because of the sin of his people. Here is a taste of it: “Because of this I will weep and wail; I will go about barefoot and naked. I will howl like a jackal and moan like an owl. For Samaria’s plague is incurable; it has spread to Judah. It has reached the very gate of my people, even to Jerusalem itself.” (‭‭Micah‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬-‭9‬). This plague was the ignoring of God and following other false gods; and the resulting wickedness that Satan and his demons promote in the worship of these false gods.

Then God brings the rescue and care of his people: “I will surely gather all of you, Jacob; I will surely bring together the remnant of Israel. I will bring them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture; the place will throng with people. The One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate and go out. Their King will pass through before them, the Lord at their head.” (‭‭Micah‬ ‭2‬:‭12‬-‭13‬)

And finally, we have our passage for today. First, before we get into today’s passage, I want to note the stages of the actions of a loving God here: 1) He relentlessly judges evil and brings destruction on those who embrace it. 2) He forgives his people, bringing them in like sheep to the fold. He leads them in power and love. And, 3) He always gives his children hope for a bright future.

Now let’s look at this bright future we have in Christ Jesus! Here are some promises we can take to the bank: a) When we go to meet God in worship he teaches us and shows us the right way to live and the right decisions to make. b) His authoritative law will be firmly established and he will judge all people. c) His people will live in a time of eternal peace, with no need for weapons of war. d) Fear will be banished. Hallelujah! e) He will restore and expand the dreams and hopes of those who have been broken and hurt and cast out. They will be a mighty nation and a strong people. Do you experience hardship in life? Take heart! God sees you and he is storing up righteous rewards for you! f) The people of God will be completely restored to their intended glory from creation. They will perfectly reflect God and he will make them a stronghold and a watchtower for all.

Lord, I can see it. I can visualize your return. I want to get so close to the future hope of heaven that I CAN TASTE IT. May it remain at the forefront of my mind as I live and serve and follow Jesus in the days and months ahead. Teach me to trust your future plans for me, and may they blow apart the fear that tries to drag me down!