We now come to the final chapter in Micah, which will end on a note of hope for the future and trust in the Lord. Despite that promised ending, in these first few verses of chapter 7 Micah is sad and dejected. Maybe you’ve found yourself in a similar position, wondering why you’ve spent so much time and energy when no one receives your message. You feel alone and frustrated. If you’ve ever been there, then you can count yourself among the ranks of Jeremiah, Habakkuk, Micah, and countless other saints who have gone before you. In verse 1 Micah uses an agricultural metaphor to describe the sadness he is experiencing: “I am like one who gathers summer fruit at the gleaning of the vineyard; there is no cluster of grapes to eat, none of the early figs that I crave” (7:1). “Gleaning” refers to ancient Israelite practice of leaving behind parts of a crop after the harvest. The harvesters were to go through the fields (or vineyard, in this case) to gather fruit, then leave the rest for travelers and the poor to eat. Micah is like a traveler through the land, looking for even a small bite to eat, only to realize that everything is gone. In verse 2 Micah makes clear what exactly his metaphor means: “The faithful have been swept from the land; not one upright person remains.” And in the following verses he describes the people of Israel in language that reminds us of the people Proverbs warns us to avoid (see Prov. 4:10–19). Indeed, despite all the work Micah has put in calling his fellow Israelites back to the Lord, it seems that no one has heeded his message. We will see Micah’s hope in the Lord despite the reality around him, but today let’s sit with him in his sorrow at the “failure” of his ministry. >> Have you ever experienced the sort of pain and loneliness that Micah describes here? How did the Lord meet you in that moment? Read Also: Proverbs 4:10-19