A Reflection on Micah 7:7- Jon Henderson
“But as for me, I will look to the Lord, I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.”
Micah 7:7 NRSV
My first thought when reflecting on Micah 7 and seeing this verse was an excited “Mmhmm! As you should!” But as I thought more and more about this, instead of all the amazing stories I could share about being patient and prayers being answered, I was reminded of my own deficiencies in waiting for God or even remembering that He does hear me. Don’t get me wrong, I know God hears me, because He has answered my prayers to problems only He could have resolved. He heard me the whole second half of the internship during my lil Job Era, where I would break down in tears begging him for healing from jealousy that whispered into my ear how unfair the world was being to me even though I was doing everything “the right way”. Despite amazing moments like this, I still feel unheard by God at times in a world where there seems to never be silence.
We are surrounded by limitless opportunities to create noise and keep ourselves occupied to the point that sitting in silence or just waiting in a world of immediate gratification seems almost like an alien concept. This constant state of movement has worn off on me. I’m not immune. I find myself frequently listening to a podcast while doing chores or playing video games. I keep myself too distracted at times where I can’t help but feel impatient and unheard, because how could God hear me over not only all of my own noise, but the noise of the world?
I know this isn’t true because of all the prayers He has answered and the countless ways He has shown His love to us. The pleas for healing, the prayers for reform, security, and peace. He hears these things, we just need to be patient and allow God to show us that He hears us. This is made all the more intimidating because we know His promises and that we may not live to see them fulfilled. But it may be seen in the lives of our friends or our children, and that is a call for hope. Our Father loves us so deeply that even when we are like a child banging pots and pans together, He never shuts us out or ignores us. This is why ”I will look to the Lord, I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.” Amen.
Jon is a treasure to our Wesley community. A faithful friend, servant, and jokester, his kindness and dedication to whatever he does has been an encouragement to countless individuals who have come through our doors. His service as a Missionary Intern has been a blessing not just to the Wesley, but to the entire Body of Christ. We are forever grateful for him!