Micah 6:8

"He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8

I don't know about you, but if the Lord requires something of me, I want to know what that is. What is this requirement? Church attendance? Good deeds? Giving money to the poor? All those things are good, but God tells us something even more profound. What does the Lord require of me? " ...to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with my God."

Think about it. If we master these three things, our church attendance, good deeds, giving, working in the kingdom will all take care of themselves. Let's look a little closer at each of these.

First, we are called on to "do justly." This literally comes from the field of civil law and it means to render a verdict which is right and fair. It means to live in a way which considers first what is right and later what is profitable. Unfortunately in society what is right is often treated as being secondary to that which "works." Practicality and profit have become the twin gods of business, politics, family life and even, sad to say, some organized religious groups. I heard a minister once defend lying to his congregation because it worked. This scripture says that God requires that we do right regardless of our assessment of its practicality.

Secondly, God requires that we "love mercy." In the process of holding ourselves to a high standard of moral and ethical conduct, we must be careful not to despise those who fail to meet those standards. When I have failed and depended on others (especially God himself) to show me mercy. If I expect to receive mercy I must show it. One of the beatitudes says, "Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy." This showing of mercy doesn't mean excusing wrongdoing. Rather, my act of mercy directs the person to the one who can give full forgiveness of sin by demonstrating in my life that forgiveness in word and deed.

Finally, we are required to "walk humbly with thy God." Humility before the Father says, "I'm afraid as hard as I try I can't walk justly all the time, and my mercy is inconsistent and shallow. I need help. Take me and shape me into the type of person who can truly live up to the requirements you have set before me." Fortunately, God has made a provision for our inability to meet his requirements. He sent his Son to die on a Cross so that we might "be made the righteousness of God." If you're having trouble meeting God's requirements, turn to him today and ask His Son to come into your heart. It's easier to walk a difficult path, if you have the road builder with you on the journey. Amen and Amen.