He has taken my side
But as for me, I will look to the Lord,
I will wait for the God of my salvation. Micah 7:7
Read Micah 7:7—10, 18—20
It is a fine little phrase I take from the old prophet of Judah: ‘until the Lord takes my side.’ I must bear the Lord’s indignation until he takes my side. How better to speak of the hard birth of Jesus, his life lived fully, the teaching, the healings, his casting out demons, his fatal disputes with the leaders in religion, his agony in the garden, his condemnation and crucifixion, his descent to the dead, his preaching there to the imprisoned, his victory over the grave, his appearances to the women, his blessing of his apostles, his commission to take the Good News to the whole world, every inch of it, to every man and woman, child and culture, his imparting of the Spirit, his presence with us in bread and wine until we eat and drink with him in his kingdom – how better to describe every part of this than to say, ‘He has taken my side’?
Father God of all heaven and earth, of course you are and must be indignant. Of course you must express your indignation that your creation is deprived of your glory. I participate in that wilfully by my own decision, and until you interrupt me I blithely live for my own glory. In Christ Jesus you have done that: you have interrupted my own set purpose to please myself. You have taken my side against myself. Against my own plans for myself. You have gone to the full extent, the whole course, to frustrate my way, to overcome me, to claim and re-direct me, and to confirm me as your true possession.