But as for me, I watch in hope.
Micah 7:7
Recently, while studying some of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the advent of the Messiah, I was reminded of an interesting pattern. A perspective of God’s complete sovereignty that far transcends present moments of waiting seemed to always be the truth to which prophecies held their bearings while awaiting the fulfillment of the promise. An example of this comes from Micah’s prophecy:
But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear me. Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light. (Micah 7:7-8)
In the beginning of Micah’s 7th chapter, he rightly bemoaned the absence of the godly and the presence of evil. He faced a dark time (as he prophesied during those tragic years of Israel’s fall to the Assyrian Empire). But He knew God’s promise of a Messiah would be fulfilled. And he held tight to God’s sovereignty as he “watched in hope,” (a phrase that actually describes a watchman on the wall looking beyond his own location). The expectant watchman always holds to the truth that God is at work well beyond his own situation even though present moments seem doubtful.
The promise of the coming Messiah has been perfectly and completely fulfilled once for all in Jesus Christ. And until His coming, the prophets, like Micah, held to the known fact that God reigns supreme over the nations even through tumultuous times. And in His faithfulness, God would indeed send the Messiah at the right time.
Today, the Messiah has come. Jesus Christ is born. He came, lived, died, and rose again. He sits at the right hand of the Father awaiting to usher in His second advent upon earth.
While we await His second advent, we must take the perspective of those that awaited His first. Although at times it may be difficult to keep our eyes on the promise of His second coming, we can trust God’s sovereignty made alive in the Gospel witness of Jesus around the world. The truth which held prophecies to their course while waiting for Christ to come as a babe, is the same truth that holds us until He comes again as reigning King. The reign of Jesus is sovereign, and He is at work around the world.
So, to encourage you concerning the reign of Jesus in the hearts and lives of people all over the world, consider some of the following facts of Jesus Christ proclaimed over the nations (recorded just a decade ago).
- The World Christian Encyclopedia recorded that more Anglican Christians worship in Nigeria in any given week than all the Episcopal and Anglican churches of Europe and North America combined!
- An examination of World ChristianTrends reveals that there are now more evangelical Christians in Nepal than in Spain.
- China can now boast of the fastest growing church in the world, with an estimated 16,500 new Christians every day.
- Today there are nearly half a billion Christians who are crossing cultural boundaries with the gospel.
- Each week fifteen thousand missionaries, mostly from Africa and Asia, are evangelizing communities in Great Britain.[1]
There is a global pandemic. But much, much greater is the fact that the Gospel was already actively spreading around the world before this present global crisis. A global mission of divine proportions had commenced and is presently underway with phenomenal impact. And the Scriptures promise that the seeding of the Gospel will accomplish that which God desires. So, although moments look bleak around the world, do not forget that God’s sovereignty witnessed through the message of our Savior Jesus Christ remains the most predominant fact locally and globally.
Just thought you could use the reminder. So, be encouraged O watchman!
Blessings.
[1] Adapted from Dr. Timothy Tennent, Invitation to World Missions (Kregel, 2010), pp. 16-17
