Has God shown you what is good?

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Title: Has God shown you what is good?

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Micah 6:8 “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good…”

Israel didn’t have a consistent record of doing the right things. Like many of us, they’d get in a mess then ask God to rescue them. He would, and they’d do ok for a while. Then they’d become complacent, forget how bad it was, forget what God had done for them and off they’d go again. Sound familiar?

In Micah, God asks, “O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee?” (Micah 6:3) Then He reminds them of the terrible things He has rescued them from, not the least of which was slavery in Egypt.

Anyone who is in recovery knows about slavery. The first thing that comes to mind, of course, is being a slave to drugs or alcohol, and that is certainly one type of slavery. But it isn’t the only one. Although it might only be one person in a family who is abusing a substance, everyone in the family gets “sick.”

In fact, the alcoholic or addict may have an easier time finding recovery than the family who has enabled him and thinks they have it all together. It takes an open mind before those of us who love a prodigal realize we too are powerless over alcohol or drugs…and also powerless over the one who is using them and to realize we too need recovery.

Even that isn’t the full picture. I believe everyone is in recovery of some kind. It might be a serious illness, a divorce, an abandonment or betrayal or childhood trauma. And the list goes on because life is tough, and no one gets through it without scars. The things that hurt or enslaved us may vary, but they all have this in common: They need the healing touch of God before we can find recovery.

Do you remember what it was like when you realized you couldn’t stop drinking or drugging no matter how much you wanted to? Do you remember the hopeless despair when you thought you could never break those chains? Do you remember the magic of the moment when you realized God had set you free?

For those who love a prodigal…do you remember the first time you realized you not only couldn’t “fix” the prodigal, but that you also didn’t need to? Do you remember when you first heard it wasn’t your fault…that you didn’t cause it and that you couldn’t control or cure it? Do you remember the freedom that came when you realized it was ok to focus on your own recovery?

That’s the kind of freedom God had given to Israel. Like us, they were delighted with it as long as the “pink cloud” lasted. However, old habits are hard to break, and life continues to show up, doesn’t it? As time passes, we tend to forget how good God has been to us and to forget that He is the only reason we’re free.

After reminding Israel of how God had freed them, the prophet said, “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good…” (Micah 6:8) Then he talked about the simple things God required of them, and there were only three.

We’ll be looking at those three things, but for today, can you just take a minute to remember the way it was? If you and I can remember that total despair and hopelessness, we won’t need to be reminded that God has been good to us.

Challenge for Today: What might happen if we, just for today, remembered that God has “shown us what was good?”