![\"If](\"https:\/\/faithlutheranchurchandover.files.wordpress.com\/2020\/11\/steve-johnson-kr8tc8rugdk-unsplash.jpg?w=1200\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
by Jeanette Leisk<\/p>\n
Micah speaks of God\u2019s \u201cremnant.\u201d He says that those who have been afflicted, left behind, or cast off will serve as the foundation for the rebuilding of the nation of Israel. The faithful remnant are the hope for Israel.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a theme throughout Scripture \u2013 God chooses those whom others have rejected.<\/p>\n David was rejected because of his age. He is the youngest of eight sons, but God chooses him to be king.<\/p>\n Esther was rejected because of her religion. She is Jewish and part of a minority group in Persia, yet she becomes queen and saves the Jewish people from destruction.<\/p>\n Zaccheus was rejected by the community because he was a criminal. He enriched himself at the expense of others, yet Jesus invites himself to Zaccheus\u2019 house for dinner.<\/p>\n Jesus knows something about being rejected too. \u201cThe stone which the builders have rejected has become the cornerstone.\u201d (Matthew 21:42)<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve ever felt left behind or cast off, this message from Micah is for you. If you\u2019ve ever been rejected because of your age, your religion, your socioeconomic status, your sexual identity, your race, your gender, your record, your \u2026\u2026 this message is for you.<\/p>\n Over and over again God chooses the faithful remnant over those in positions of power. God chooses those who have been rejected. In you there is hope.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Jeanette Leisk Micah 4:6-13 6\u00a0On that day, says the\u00a0Lord,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I will assemble the lameand gather those who have been driven away,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0and those whom I have afflicted.7\u00a0The lame I will make the remnant,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0and those who were cast off, a strong nation;and the\u00a0Lord\u00a0will reign over them in Mount Zion\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0now and for evermore. 8\u00a0And you, O\u00a0tower of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":2291,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[43],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8261","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advent-devotions"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n
6<\/sup>\u00a0On that day, says the\u00a0Lord,
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I will assemble the lame
and gather those who have been driven away,
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0and those whom I have afflicted.
7<\/sup>\u00a0The lame I will make the remnant,
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0and those who were cast off, a strong nation;
and the\u00a0Lord\u00a0will reign over them in Mount Zion
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0now and for evermore.<\/em><\/p>\n
8<\/sup>\u00a0And you, O\u00a0tower of the flock,
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0hill of daughter Zion,
to you it shall come,
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0the former dominion shall come,
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0the sovereignty of daughter Jerusalem.<\/em><\/p>\n
9<\/sup>\u00a0Now why do you cry aloud?
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Is there no king in you?
Has your counsellor perished,
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0that pangs have seized you like a woman in labour?
10<\/sup>\u00a0Writhe and groan,\u00a0O\u00a0daughter Zion,
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0like a woman in labour;
for now you shall go forth from the\u00a0city
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0and camp in the open country;
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0you shall go to Babylon.
There you shall be rescued,
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0there the\u00a0Lord\u00a0will redeem you
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0from the hands of your enemies.<\/em><\/p>\n
11<\/sup>\u00a0Now many nations
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0are assembled against you,
saying, \u2018Let her be profaned,
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0and let our eyes gaze upon Zion.\u2019
12<\/sup>\u00a0But they do not know
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0the thoughts of the\u00a0Lord;
they do not understand his plan,
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0that he has gathered them as sheaves to the threshing-floor.
13<\/sup>\u00a0Arise and thresh,
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0O\u00a0daughter Zion,
for I will make your horn iron
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0and your hoofs bronze;
you shall beat in pieces many peoples,
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0and shall\u00a0devote their gain to the\u00a0Lord,
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0their wealth to the Lord of the whole earth.<\/em><\/p>\n