Micah 4  This chapter starts with a picture of the "last days".. a time of peace when the center of everything will be  "the mountain of the house of the Lord." 

This mountain will be raised up higher than any hill. It will be a place where every nation.. every people group will stream towards it..  It will be a place where the Word of God will be spoken.. "That He may teach us about His ways and that we may walk in His paths." 

These last days will be a time when people will rest from all wars.. where every person will have their own home with a vine and a fig tree.. "with no one to make them afraid". 

It will be a time when the Lord redeems His people.  He will gather "the lame" and "the outcasts".  He will "reign over them in Mount Zion."

But, before that day.. Israel will be taken captive in Babylon. The Lord will redeem them, but they will first be taken to the "threshing floor".  There is a need for them to be refined.. for the chaff to be removed. The Lord warns those who gloat  over Israel.. the time of judgement will come upon them.. for what they do to Israel.  They don't understand that the Lord is using them for His own purposes but they will be held accountable for their sins too. 

In light of all of this.. Micah makes a strong declaration.. " Though all the peoples walk each in the name of his god, as for us, we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever." ( v5)

As we think about the future.. and as we reflect on the past.. the thing that sticks out the most to me in this passage.. is the importance of how we walk.. how we live.  Are we walking in His paths.. according to His purposes? Are we prepared for that day when Christ returns?  Or do we need to go through the threshing floor?  Are there things in our lives that need to be removed because we are not walking in His ways? 

Father in heaven, teach us Your ways that we may walk in Your paths. Forever and ever.. Amen.