Micah 3:5-6 - Truth before comfort

Scripture:

Micah 3:5-6

5 Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who lead my people astray;

When they have something to bite with their teeth,
They cry, "Peace,"
But against him who puts nothing in their mouths
They declare holy war.
6 Therefore it will be night for you — without vision,
And darkness for you — without divination.
The sun will go down on the prophets,
And the day will become dark over them.
NASU


Thoughts:

In this prophecy, the Lord promises doom for the false prophets of Micah's day (verse 6).  These people cared only about their own comfort (verse 5).  They were essentially prophets "for hire."  An impossibility for someone that would truly speak God's word.

It is such a terrible thing when a spiritual leader becomes corrupt.  When the favor of people or the promise of wealth, replaces the desire to serve God with a pure heart.  And yet this was a problem in Micah's day, throughout the pages of the Old and New Testaments, and right up to today. 

May God grant to each of us, whether in leadership or not, a resolve to walk uprightly with Him, with no regard for our personal comfort.  May pleasing Him be our desire, not ourselves or others. 

The people of Micah's day needed to hear the truth.  It was because of the lies they willfully believed, that God's judgment fell upon them.  People today have the same need.  As Christians, we have the privilege of sharing it with them.


Prayer:

Lord, protect me from the deceitfulness of selfishness.  May my passion be for living with You in truth.  Help me to die to my own desires that can consume us, if we let them.  Help me to be a light in this dark world.

Amen

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.