Together in Christ: 'A Bag with Holes in It' — Micah 6:11-14

Over the last several days, our devotionals on relationships have emphasized God's importance in maintaining justice and caring for the vulnerable, weak, and abandoned people around us. These themes don't play very well in our consumer culture, fueled by our appetites inflamed by the fires of advertising and credit card purchasing. However, the horrors of nation after nation murderously invading other nations should awaken us to the ruinous lust of possessing and controlling others and acquiring things for our ego, pleasure, and sense of control — whether on a national or personal level.

God's servant, the prophet Micah, records God's powerful message about His hatred of the abuse of power, the loss of our souls to covetousness, and the insatiable lust for dominance and control. These lust-fueled qualities eventually manifest themselves in dishonesty, extortion, exploitation, and violence. When anyone abuses others with these evils, God will ultimately destroy them for living violently to feed their selfish values and rapacious lusts. ^[1] Instead of filling and satisfying a person, such acquisitions and conquests will never provide enough to satisfy the ravenous hunger for more. As Jesus warned:

"Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be." ^[2]

In the end, all efforts toward selfish and violent acquisition may come to nothing. What people have gained through violence and injustice may ultimately be taken from them by those who conquer them. All such gains may be like putting money in a bag with holes in it. Even if they never face humiliating defeat here, we are assured they can't take their vile achievements, wealth, or status with them into the next life. Instead, they will stand before God and be forced to answer for their putrid life of injustice, hatred, neglect, and violence. Wow! What a vital prophetic message for us today.

The prophet Haggai used a powerful image to make a similar point that's applicable to us, personally:

This is what the Lord of Heaven's Armies says: "Look at what's happening to you! You have planted much but harvested little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear like you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!" ^[3]

Only by pursuing Jesus and His call to live the ethics and values of God's Kingdom and His righteousness will we find what we need in life and fullness for our souls. ^[4]