A helpful preface to these words by the prophet Micah are found in verse two of this same chapter. Micah describes his day, and the lack of faithfulness of his people, decrying, "The faithful have disappeared from the land, and there is no one left who is upright; they all lie in wait for blood, and they hunt each other with nets" (NRSV). He then adds, nevertheless, "I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me." While this passage sounds like it is predicting the Second Coming of Christ, Micah is actually predicting the time when the "Babe of Bethlehem" would be born to work out the salvation of the world.

To a people who were having doubts and struggling to be faithful to God and commandments, Micah tells them that he will not give up "hope." He will not stop believing. Unlike so many in supposed believers in his day, Micah was certain he could trust in his God. He was convinced that prayers are always heard, God always keeps His promised, and when the time is right, God will send His holy Son "with healing in His wings" (Malachi 4:2). Again, while Micah's words were about the "First Coming" of Christ, they are no less applicable to our day. As we see so many former "believers" lose their faith or be unfaithful to their God, as we wonder when Jesus will come to resolve all that is wrong with the world, we too should do as Micha: watching in hope, patiently waiting upon God, and trusting that He is aware of us and our needs and hears our every prayer.