Okay, I posted this on the other diary, but since that other diary is defunct, I'm going to post it here. So there.

4/3/03

Good morning. Since I have started this new getting up early in the morning to spend an hour on prayer and Bible study thing, I figured I'd keep a record of it. So, here we are.

April 3, 2003 -- 6:14 AM

Listening to: Christian music playlist including Petra Praise: The Rock Cried Out CD, Steve Green and various other artists and songs.

Reading: Micah 7

1. What misery is mine! I am like one who gathers summer fruit at the gleaning of the vineyard: there is no cluster of grapes to eat, none of the early figs that I crave.
2. The Godly have been swept from the land; not one upright man remains. All men lie in wait to shed blood; each hunts his brother with a net.
3. Both hands are skilled in doing evil; the ruler demands gifts, the judge accepts bribes, the powerful dictate what they desire � they all conspire together.
4. The best of them is like a brier, the most upright worse than a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen has come, the day God visits you. Now is the time of their confusion.
5. Do not trust a neighbor; put no confidence in a friend. Even with her who lies in your embrace be careful of your words,
6. for a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law � a man�s enemies are the members of his own household.
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 establishes my right. He will bring me out into the light; I will see His righteousness.
10. Then my enemy will see it and will be covered with shame, she who said to me, �Where is the Lord your God?� My eyes will see her downfall; even now she will be trampled underfoot like mire in the streets.

11. The day for building your walls will come, the day for extending your boundaries.
12. In that day people will come to you from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, even from Egypt to the Euphrates and from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.
13. The earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants, as the result of their deeds.

14. Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance, which lives by itself in a forest, in fertile pasturelands.* Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead as in days long ago.
15. �As in the days when you came out of Egypt, I will show them my wonders.�
16. Nations will see and be ashamed, deprived of all their power. They will lay their hands on their mouths and their ears will become deaf.
17. They will lick dust like a snake, like creatures that crawl on the ground. They will come trembling out of their dens; they will turn in fear to the Lord our God and will be afraid of you.
18. Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance� You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.
19. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
20. You will be true to Jacob, and show mercy to Abraham, as you pledged on oath to our fathers in days long ago.

* Or, �in the middle of Carmel�

*looks at that for a moment*

When I started reading this today, I was taken aback. I am almost never directed to negative, woe-is-me type verses. I read the first verse and was not sure I agreed with what God was showing me. Yet, as I read through it, I understood, I think.

So, In order to turn this passage to me (vs 1-7), I suppose I could see both hands are skilled in doing evil as I�m still smoking even though God has told me to stop. There are things He has instructed me to do which I still haven�t done. But, as I read through this (for the third time now? Fourth?) again, I get the feeling that it�s a more accurate reflection of society. It seems there are more and more instances of people doing bad things to each other.

I know that often the fact that I hear more negative things about this world in general is due to the fact that there is broad media coverage, rather than to there actually being more evil loosed in this world. But, still I think that this era may well be an exception to that rule of thumb. I have personally seen vs 6 played out in my own family.

So, I turn to vs 7 where Micah says that he watches in hope for the Lord. I too wait for God my Savior and I know that my God will hear me.

Verses 8 through 10 really speak to me, though. Since August of last year, I have seen this coming true in my life. I have watched as a specific person I felt wronged me, was removed from my life. It is entirely possible that there will be greater retribution upon this person, but I get nervous when thinking about that. I don�t want bad stuff to happen to her, I just want her to admit what she�s done wrong, apologize to God for it, and move on.

Verses 11 through 13 spark in my mind in reference to the current actions in the Middle East. I don�t know that they really have anything to do with the war, but it sounds so.

Verses 14 through 20 are actually encouraging to me. I see a lot of the world around me described there, and yet, I hope for the day when people will turn to God of their own choice. I know that there are a lot of religious groups out there who really want to convert people to their way of thought, but it�s just that; conversion to their way of thought. I don�t agree with religion much at all. I think that most religious groups just want to glorify themselves; that most groups are simply social gatherings in the name of worshiping God. But I don�t see a whole lot of people worshiping God because they are helpless to do otherwise.

I know that doesn�t make a whole lot of sense, but bear with me here� I�ve attended ��.. No, that�s too far off the mark.

Suffice it to say there will be a day when all people will have a legitimate opportunity to interact with God of their own choice. Some people choose to do so now, more power to them. Verses 17b and 18 are the focal points for this thought. They will come trembling out of their dens; they will turn in fear to the Lord our God and will be afraid of you.

They will take the risk, fighting back all of the distrust and fear of what they have believed about God all their lives. And then they will realize that He truly and completely forgives all sins.

To me, it will be a glorious day when those who have long been afraid of God come to see that He is merciful and the God of grace. I long to see that day. Not for any vengeful or negative reason. I don�t want to see people turn to God so I can say �I told you so.� I want to see people turn to God so that they can feel this inner peace that I feel.

And, whether you believe it or not, I want the woman I spoke of earlier to experience that peace too. I want to watch her, from afar, recognize the true depths of God�s forgiveness; the true depths of His mercy.

It has long been my belief that anyone can be saved. No matter how evil their actions have been, no matter how vile or corrupt they may appear to be, I believe with everything I am that even the most foul people can be saved.

I believe that in order for them to be saved, they have to repent for their actions, be truly and heart-deep sorry for what they have done. They have to take responsibility for their actions. But if they do and if they repent before God, I believe that even Hitler can receive an unconditional pardon. Bin Laden and Hussein too.

But then, the next question is, can we, as people who now believe in God and follow His word, those of us who do what He tells us, can we accept the fact that those �evil� people will share in the salvation? Can we deal with that? Could you walk along the street, after the third resurrection, and stomach the fact that Hitler was also there?

To me, that is one of the primary lessons of the Prodigal Son story. The Prodigal son is the child of God who turned away from God long ago; he may even have died in the flesh. And yet, if he turns back to God upon being resurrected, the Father will bring out the fatteded calf, throw His best cloak over the returning son�s shoulders and pull him close.

Can you handle sharing your home with Hitler? Bin Laden? Hussein?

Micah 7:8 They will lick dust like a snake, like creatures that crawl on the ground. They will come trembling out of their dens; they will turn in fear to the Lord our God and will be afraid of you.
9 Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.

Makes me think.