Micah

Micah 2:6 “’Do not preach’ –thus they preach—‘one should not preach of such things; disgrace will overtake us.’”

Who wants to hear bad news? People often say to the preacher, “You stepped on my toes, today, Preacher.” Prophets who brought bad news were not welcomed for the most part. Some were imprisoned for speaking such news. God did not call the prophets to tell falsehood to the people but to tell the truth. The Apostle Paul once asked, “Have I become your enemy by telling the truth?” The prophets found that to be the case.

The important thing is not the news but our reaction to the news. Look at Nineveh for instance. Bad news sermon from Jonah but repentance from Nineveh. Worked in Nineveh’s favor. What if they had not heard the news from Jonah? We see how important the role of the prophet or preacher is from that example. People prefer good news even if bad news is more appropriate. A lot of us go to ‘church’ and expect to feel good when the service is over. We don’t mind if the sermon touches on someone else’s sins but how can we feel good if it touches on ours?

Micah may have stepped on their toes but make no mistake about it God intended for this message to touch hearts not toes. Hearts can change, toes just hurt for a while.

Task for Today: Re-think your thoughts about the preaching of the word. Leave your steel toed boots at home. Open your heart to the truth being spoken even if it points toward you and not someone else. Never leave the assembly with sore toes and hardened heart. You should say, “Preach on preacher, preach on.”