“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah… out of you will come for me whose origins are from of old… He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord… And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And he will be our peace.” Micah 5:2, 4–5
Lord Jesus, how we love Micah’s prophecies of your life and love for us. Having laid down your life as the Lamb of God, you’ve risen from the dead, and are now our standing shepherd—relentlessly caring, vigilantly protecting, and faithfully providing for us. But who is included in “us”? Who are the sheep you stand and shepherd with much tenderness and compassion? This question has fresh and profound meaning to me this December morning as I am hearing these grace-saturated words sung over me as I pray and write…
“O come, all you unfaithful; Come, weak and unstable; Come, know you are not alone. O come, barren and waiting ones, weary of praying, come. See what your God has done. Christ is born, Christ is born, Christ is born for you.” (“O Come, All Ye Unfaithful” by Bob Kauflin and Lisa Clow)
This makes us (me) want to weep and dance at the same time, Jesus. Because if only the faithful can come to you, then what about the rest of us? Many, maybe most of us, don’t think of ourselves as very faithful or full of faith. Many of us are struggling to love and weary of pretending—we aren’t just in a mess, but are a mess. It is to us the Holy Spirit is singing right now…
“O come, bitter and broken; Come with fears unspoken; Come, taste of His perfect love. O come, guilty and hiding ones. There is no need to run. See what your God has done. Christ is born, Christ is born, Christ is born for you.”
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Jesus you are our peace because you are our “righteousness, holiness, and redemption” (1Cor.1:30). So Very Amen.
