It's a Heart Issue

Micah 2:8-13

“But lately my people have risen up as an enemy; you strip the rich robe from those who pass by trustingly with no thought of war.  The women of my people you drive out from their delightful houses; from their young children you take away my splendor forever.  Arise and go, for this is no place to rest, because of uncleanness that destroys with a grievous destruction.  If a man should go about and utter wind and lies, saying, “I will preach to you of wine and strong drink, ”he would be the preacher for this people.”

What happens to a family, a community, and a nation when people’s hearts turn to greed?  I wanted to share some thoughts on the subject of greed from people you may have heard or read about, Andy Stanley, “Greed is not a financial issue.  It’s a heart issue.”  Mahatma Gandhi, “There is a sufficiency in the world for man’s need but not for man’s greed.”  Greed and power had gotten to the point that even the people passing through the area were attacked and these same men were evicting woman from their homes and taking from them the provisions God had provided.  These were the chosen people of God acting in a way even strange to some of the pagan nations around them.  The prophet Jeremiah summed it up in these words even though he was talking at a later date to the chosen of God. “For from the least to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for unjust gain; and from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely.” (Jeremiah 6:13)

I’ve often stated, greed does not have an income level, a poor person can be just as full of greed as the most wealthy of men.  So as a follower of Christ have you looked in the mirror to see if greed has crept into your heart?  Maybe it would be wise to see what Scripture has to say about greed.  “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.” (1 Timothy 6:9)  One of the first lessons a follower of Christ should learn is to guard ones heart: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23 NIV)  You may be wondering if Jesus had anything to say about the heart and we would be wise to learn from these words of Jesus.   ^“And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him.  For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, 

foolishness.  All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:20-23)

So Micah, with sarcasm dripping from his voice tells them they deserve the prophecy they are receiving from the false prophets.   The Church in America and the West better awake and return to hearing and obeying God and not men, or we will be destroyed.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice