As for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. Micah 7:7.

The Spirit also helps us in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Romans 8:26 NKJV.

Even to your old age and gray hairs, I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. Isaiah 46:4.

This morning in our Friday Zoom Retreat, we did a Visio Divina where we looked at a photo and let the image speak to us; and allowed room for Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit, to enter into our imagination so we could glean what He has for us. Then we shared what we found and each was so specific and particular! We saw a photo of a beautiful autumn forest not too heavily dense, with light rays from the sun above streaming and touching everything. Some saw the forest of their youth that they loved to explore and were taken back to that time; some saw a pathway to the left that they saw themselves exploring that likened to the path they are on now with aging; and several of us saw a stunted tree at the forefront and yet, gleaned very different offerings. One of us saw how that tree, different in coloring, and yet like all the other trees, kissed by the sunshine; another saw the planting of that tree exactly where it could be nourished with all that it needed; I saw the capture of what I have been dwelling on of late, that all of creation is a burning bush…and also that I was that small, stunted tree, because I feel so keenly the burden of anger when I give into that negative emotion…yet, the Spirit is there hovering as represented by the soft, upward-swirling fog bathing the forest in the center of the image. We spend so much time stressing and worrying and yet, God asks us to be tender-hearted to ourselves and one another as we trust in His Love. It always comes back to our place of healing…Creator God’s fiery love for us and His creation.

And in our chapter, Micah 4, is the promise of what is yet to be that even now is being worked out in every generation – like that small tree planted exactly where it needs to be. In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and peoples will stream to it. Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths. The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the Lord Almighty has spoken. v. 1-4. The chapter goes on to tell how God will gather the lame, the exiles, those grieving, remnants of those driven out by those stronger, and even that it will be Babylon, before Babylon became a powerful empire, that will overtake Judah; and that there in captivity, the Lord will redeem them out of their hand. v. 6-10. And this beautiful promise…But now many nations are gathered against you. They say, “Let her be defiled, let our eyes gloat over Zion!” But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord; they do not understand His plan, that He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor. “Rise and thresh, Daughter Zion, for I will give you horns of iron; I will give you hooves of bronze, and you will break to pieces many nations.” You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the Lord, their wealth to the Lord of all the earth. v. 11-13. One of our group, before he had to leave from power outages, was sharing he would be traveling again to a small neighboring nation in Africa, the poorest nation in the world. And he said he saw things there that troubled him. Why break to pieces many nations? So that many nations will come and learn from Creator God. We may live in prosperity, but many more do not. And the worst poverty for all of us? All the nations may walk in the name of their gods…v. 5; but the 2nd half of that verse? But we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.

The love Creator God has for all of His creation, including us, is so profound it’s breathtaking! That’s why He created. And His creation is beautifully diverse and complex. Exactly how He wants it to be. We are the ones who want to limit and minimize in our ignorance of His glorious purpose for us. Be thankful Creator God IS…and that His will will be done for all of us, His dearly loved children, in desperate need of His heart of Love for Him and for one another…for ever and ever!