MINOR PROPHETS AGAIN

It's!  Wow!  I love Sundays!  I'm so looking forward to a great day in the LORD.  I hope you are too!  I've had one cup of coffee and I'm looking forward to getting one more to enjoy while I type out a few thoughts.  Again, I'm in the minor prophets.  I believe it takes just over three days to go through them.  Without checking, I'm thinking there are 68 chapters in all and at 20 a day, it takes a few days to get through them.  The major prophets are the hardest to read 20 chapters a day through since they are long verses and chapters, but in the minor prophets it is just the opposite... they are easy to read through and you can do so very quickly.  But you will still find so many truths.  I just started preaching through the highlights of the Minor Prophets on Wednesday night and I've named the series:  Big Truth in Small Packages.  I am so looking forward to preaching for months out of these books.  Here are some thoughts for today: 1) WHOSE TO BLAME!  In Micah 2:7, God is speaking to the nation of Israel and here is what He says:  "O thou that art named the house of Jacob, is the spirit of the LORD straitened?  are these his doings?  do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly?"  In other words, they were in a mess and God is asking them:  Is this how I work?  Don't I bless those who obey Me?  The answer is yes!!  God's Words work for them who follow them!!  So God is saying.... stop blaming me that you reap what you sow! 2) A STRONG HOLD- In Nahum 1:7, it says:  "The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him."   God is good!  God is a refuge and strong hold to them that trust in Him!  Dear friend, look to God when your problems rise up to overwhelm you.  The cares that you carry were not meant for you.... lay them on Jesus' back and He will carry them for you!  He is our strong hold... our refuge.... our friend. 3) A LIFE OF FAITH-  In Habakkuk 3:17,18, we see a life of faith so amply illustrated for us.  Notice what it says:  "Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stall:  (Now, could you imagine anything worse that what is happening here, knowing that this farmer makes his living with all of these things, and the work is still the same whether or not the harvest comes in or not?  But here is the response:)  Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation."  Wow!!  A life of faith illustrated.   Oh that people around us could look at our lives and also see this life of faith illustrated for them.  Dear Christian, let us look to the LORD today!   Well, I'm getting ready soon to go to Church!  Hope to see you there.  I'm excited about the day.  Thanks for joining me in reading today.  May God bless you!!  Dr. Mike Mutchler, Pastor of Grand View Baptist Church (The greatest people in the world!)