DCLM DAILY MANNA 9 FEBRUARY 2021 – CHEER UP!
Topic: Cheer Up! (DCLM Daily Manna 9 February 2021)
Text: Micah 5:1-8 (KJV)
1 Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.
2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
3 Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.
4 And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.
5 And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men.
6 And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.
7 And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.
8 And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.
Key Verse: “And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men” (Micah 5:7).
MESSAGE:
Richard Wurmbrand, an evangelical minister, spent 14 years in communist imprisonment and torture. In his book, ‘Tortured for Christ’, he recounted with joy how he suffered pains and agony for the sake of the gospel even though he hated the way initially.
“I was brought up in a family in which no religion was recognised. In my childhood, I received no religious education. At the age of 14, I was already a convinced hardened atheist. And so, I grew up in bitterness towards religion. But as I understand afterwards, I had the grace to be one of the chosen of God for reasons which I don’t understand,” he said.
Citizens of countries that have experienced war will testify that while the hostilities lasted, it was always difficult to think that peace would ever return. Redemption is always a distant dream in times of afflictions and trials. But it does come!
Our passage talks about the remnant of Jacob. In the initial fulfilment, reference was to the remnant of all twelve tribes that would return from captivity. In the spiritual fulfilment, the remnant would be those of all the nations who would come out of the captivity of sin; and thus be the light of God and the preserving salt of the world.
Although the children of Israel had been sent into enemy nations because of their sins, they would be redeemed and returned to their native land. This shows that those who are presently far from the Lord or have wandered away from Him can still find grace in His sight for salvation or restoration.
Having been saved, we are bound to go through difficult times as we labour for the Lord. However, redemption will come if we endure the “light afflictions”, which the enemy brings our way. Whatever the inconvenience, we must endure, for our joy will come in the morning.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Numerous blessings await those who endure till the end.
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria. https://dclm.org/
1. Admit that you are a sinner. "For all [humans] have sinned, and comes short of the glory of God....[and] the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 3:23)
2. Repent now. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out ...[for] if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness " (Acts 3:19, 1 John 1:9)
3. Believe that God loves you and Jesus died for you. "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet Sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
4. Invite Jesus into your life through prayer of faith. Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20)
