January 22, 2024 7:00 pm
My wife, Miska, has a necklace and hoop earrings from Ethiopia. Their elegant simplicity reveals genuine artistry. What’s most astounding about these pieces, however, is their story. Due to decades of fierce conflict and a civil war that rages on, Ethiopia’s geography is littered with spent artillery shells and cartridges. As an act of hope, Ethiopians scour the torched earth cleaning up the scraps. And artisans craft jewelry out of what remains of the shells and cartridges.
When I heard this story, I heard echoes of Micah boldly declaring God’s promise. One day, the prophet announced, the people would “beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks” (4:3). Tools meant to kill and maim would, because of God’s powerful action, be transformed into tools meant to nurture life. In God’s coming day, the prophet insisted, “nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore” (v. 4).
Micah’s pronouncement was no harder to imagine in his day than ours. Like Israel of old, we face violence and war, and it seems impossible that the world could ever change. But God promises us that by His mercy and healing, this astounding day is coming. The thing for us, then, is to begin to live this truth now. God helps us to take on His work even now, turning scraps into beautiful things.
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Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. My name is Win Collier and I wrote today's reading titled Scraps to Beauty. My wife Miska has a necklace and hoop earrings from Ethiopia.
Their elegant simplicity reveals genuine artistry. What's most astounding about these pieces, however, is their story. Due to decades of fierce conflict and a civil war that rages on, Ethiopia's geography is littered with spent artillery shells and cartridges. As an act of hope, Ethiopians scour the torched earth, cleaning up the scraps.
And artisans craft jewelry out of what remains of the shells and cartridges. When I heard this story, I heard echoes of Mika boldly declaring God's promise. One day, the prophet announced, the people would beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Tools meant to kill and maim would, because of God's powerful action, be transformed into tools meant to nurture life. In God's coming day, the prophet insisted, nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.
Mika's pronouncement was no harder to imagine in his day than ours. Like Israel of old, we face violence and war and it seems impossible that the world could ever change. But God promises that by his mercy and healing, this astounding day is coming. The thing for us then is to begin to live this truth now. God helps us to take on his work even now, turning scraps into beautiful things.
Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Mika chapter 4 verses 1 to 5. The Lord 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.
All the nations may walk in the name of their gods, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God, forever and ever. Let's pray. Dear God, The world's in trouble.
It seems it's always been in trouble. Please transform and heal our world. Work through each of us to bring beauty here, now. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.
Whisper: medium.en / 2024-01-22 21:05:28 / 2024-01-22 21:06:58 / 2
