Kansas City, Missouri, United States - Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - "Contractions" Friday, 19 December 2014 - Scripture: Micah 4:8-13

Kansas City, Missouri, United States - Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - "Contractions" Friday, 19 December 2014 - Scripture: Micah 4:8 “And you stragglers around Jerusalem,
    eking out a living in shantytowns:
The glory that once was will be again.
    Jerusalem’s daughter will be the kingdom center.”
9-10 So why the doomsday hysterics?
    You still have a king, don’t you?
But maybe he’s not doing his job
    and you’re panicked like a woman in labor.
Well, go ahead—twist and scream, Daughter Jerusalem.
    You are like a woman in childbirth.
You’ll soon be out of the city, on your way
    and camping in the open country.
And then you’ll arrive in Babylon.
    What you lost in Jerusalem will be found in Babylon.
God will give you new life again.
    He’ll redeem you from your enemies.
11-12 But for right now, they’re ganged up against you,
    many godless peoples, saying,
“Kick her when she’s down! Violate her!
    We want to see Zion grovel in the dirt.”
These blasphemers have no idea
    what God is thinking and doing in this.
They don’t know that this is the making of God’s people,
    that they are wheat being threshed, gold being refined.
13 On your feet, Daughter of Zion! Be threshed of chaff,
    be refined of dross.
I’m remaking you into a people invincible,
    into God’s juggernaut to crush the godless peoples.
You’ll bring their plunder as holy offerings to God,
    their wealth to the Master of the earth.
"Contractions" by Bob Broadbooks
During the birth process of our daughter, Keely, my wife, Carol, made the big announcement: “I am never doing this again!” However, three years later, she went back on her promise and gave birth to our son, Lincoln. During those painful hours of her second delivery, she made another big announcement: “I am never doing this again!” That time she stuck with her decision.
The people to whom Micah preached thought they would never get through their pain. They would never have a leader who would get them out of their struggle. Still, God had a plan. He was going to redeem them from the hand of their enemies. Although their pain and anguish was all-consuming for the present, they would get through the trial. Triumph would be born.
Prophetically, Micah was speaking of another birth, the birth of the Messiah. He would ultimately arrive, win a great struggle and eventually rule His Kingdom. The pain of childbirth although acute would quickly end. The joy brought by the Child would completely overshadow the waiting, the pain and the tears.
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