December 15: Of Falling and Rising

Micah 5:1-7:20

Revelation 7:1-17

Psalm 135:1-21

Proverbs 30:5-6

Micah 7:7-9

7 But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD,

I wait for God my Savior;

my God will hear me.

8 Do not gloat over me, my enemy!

Though I have fallen, I will rise.

Though I sit in darkness,

the LORD will be my light.

9 Because I have sinned against him,

I will bear the LORD's wrath,

until he pleads my case

and upholds my cause.

He will bring me out into the light;

I will see his righteousness."

I am going to cheat a bit, and take from Sunday's reading when I am supposed to be blogging about Saturday's.  I've seen so much sadness in the last 3 weeks.  First, a friend from high school, my age, cancer; she left behind an orphan son, because her husband had passed away three years earlier.  Then the mother of a college classmate; shortly thereafter the father of a high school classmate.  And just this past week a dear friend, with whose family we'd celebrated Thanksgiving these last few years.

It is difficult to grasp purpose behind such sadness, even more so when one worries about those who have passed on.  A passage from Sunday's reading in Micah is very reassuring; and I do not pretend to any great theological expertise, I believe this: our Lord's love and the price He paid for us is greater than every sin we will have committed through to the end of our lives.  Which is why though "I have sinned against Him", He "will bring me out into the light; and I will see His righteousness."

Lord, when You look at us at the end of our lives, do not just see the stain of our lifelong sinfulness; remember Your great love, and the price You paid, to pay the price we could not afford.  We pray for those who have gone before us, that they might receive Your love and mercy, and be with You in heaven, where we hope to join them one day.