Before a home can be renovated, some things need to be demolished. Sometimes that means ripping down a wall or tearing out old floor tile. The old features need to be gone before the new ones can be put into place. In today’s devotional, God’s people are undergoing this time of change at the hand of God. God’s covenant faithfulness means that God disciplines His people and He responds to them in kindness and mercy. Both mercy and punishment are a part of God’s love and covenant faithfulness, showing His commitment to His children. In Micah 7:9 Jerusalem finally responded to Micah’s calls for repentance, though only after they had suffered under God’s punishment. God now responds to their turning away from their sin. He says that He will rebuild Jerusalem’s walls and extend its boundaries. His people will not only be restored but also improved upon! Micah 7:12 states: “In that day people will come to you from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, even from Egypt to the Euphrates and from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.” We return to a topic introduced in Micah 4:1—people will come to Jerusalem to know God. God not only promised the physical restoration of His people, He also promised that they would become what they always were meant to be: a haven for those who seek the Lord and want to live in right relationship with Him. Verse 13 states that the people leaving their lands to come to Jerusalem will also function as discipline, for “the earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants, as a result of their deeds.” This, again, is a clear demonstration of God’s faithfulness. He blesses those who seek Him and punishes those who persist in turning from Him (see Deut. 6:4–9). >> If your life was a home renovation project, what would be removed and destroyed before the building work could begin? Ask God to help you take a hard look at your life and invite Him to begin that work in you today.