DAILY BIBLE DEVOTION

 

WOE TO EVILDOERS

Micah is a prophet at around the

same time as Isaiah and has come

to prophesy punishment to those

who are behaving in an unjust

manner. Just because a person has

the power or authority to act

unjustly, doesn't mean that he

should. One might think that

harassment or schemes to defraud

people of their property or their

inheritance, are something new,

but Micah lets us know that these

things have been going on since

antiquity. God isn't any happier

today about these practices than

he was then. Micah made known

God's displeasure to the kings and

leaders of the day. He warns that

their unjust practices need to stop

and that the people need to repent

or else they are leaving themselves

open to attack by armies greater

than theirs.

As we know, Assyria and Babylon

both decimated Judah and Israel.

Think about the Roman Emnpire,

they too had fallen into such a

moral decay that they were open

to being overcome by Constantine.

What about today? We have

become lax in our time as well.

Corporate takeovers that have

little respect for the rights of the

workers have become common.

Even companies that have not

been taken over have been known

to change their policies and limit

the benefits that their employees

enjoy. Communities can take

property away from individuals for

schools, highways, shopping

centers, by eminent domain and

those who live on the properties

are forced to move. Although

owners are reimbursed, renters

need to fend for themselves.

Looking out for number one,

whether personally, communally

or nationally can lead to ignoring

the essentials and there is nothing

to stop others from overcoming us.

As Micah says, we need to work for

justice if we want peace.

PRAYER

Lord, we all say that we want peace

in our world, but it takes all of us

working together for justice if we

want to achieve it. As we pray for

peace, may we also work for peace

in whatever ways we are able.

Amen.