False Hope of Protection

Scripture:

Micah 3:11 "You rulers make decisions based on bribes; you priests teach God's laws only for a price; you prophets won't prophesy unless you are paid.  Yet all of you claim to depend on the Lord.  'No harm can come to us,' you say, 'for the Lord is here among us'".

Observation:

God sent Micah to deliver the word of the Lord to Samaria and Jerusalem.  He is prophesying destruction on Jerusalem when this passage comes forth.  In it you can see God's heart toward those who minister for money or cheat people in the name of the Lord.  These same people who are "fleecing the flock" claim to depend on the Lord and feel they are being protected by Him because His presence is with them.  They don't realize they have been deceived and that the Lord is not with them any more.  They actually feel what they are doing is right and that the Lord is okay with it.

Application:

True spiritual growth could be seen as "loving what God loves and hating what God hates".  I've never thought of it this way before, but many people who think they are right with God are not.  Many today have a false hope of His protection, when they may actually see His judgment and wonder why.  To be like Christ means that we love what He loves and hate what He hates.  We cannot live any way we want, then ask God to bless it.  We must live according to His ways, then He will bless it.

Prayer:

Father, keep me on the right track.  Help me to follow You completely.  I don't want false hope, but a real relationship with my father.  I want to love what you love and hate what you hate.  Let my heart be transformed and become more and more like Yours.  Help me to never preach, teach, prophesy or minister with a paycheck in mind.  Keep me pure in heart.

Yours,
Jeff