“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, o love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” ~ Micah 6:8
REFERENCE:
The various religious beliefs and spiritual practices that claim to have the ‘light’ and offer salvation are puzzling. There are almost as many ideologies as there are people groups on earth. Man forms his religion and sets its rituals and practices: sacrifices, rites, doctrines, worship, order, etc. People do all sorts, but who cares to inquire about what the Lord requires?
Scripture reveals that God founded a ‘faith’ that is both spiritual and logical when He sent Jesus to die for man’s sins. Jesus became the Way, the Truth, and the Life; He redeemed us to God. However, because many believers come from a past of ritualism or performance-based religion, they seek to please God by performing rituals, making sacrifices, and paying for prayers and forgiveness; they beat themselves when they go wrong and seek to compensate with service.
But there are things the Lord requires from those saved by His grace – His saints. The Prophet Micah says He has shown them, making them plain. He lists them out as inspired by God:
a. DO JUSTLY: Act with a sense of justice and fairness in all you do. Give your staff their due and hurt no one’s person, property, or character. Treat others how you would want others to treat you. Be impartial, honest, and a person of principles. Cheat no one of nothing at no time.
b. LOVE MERCY: Be quick to forgive and easy to be entreated. Be compassionate to the weak, less privileged, poor, abused, etc., and do practical things to relieve them. It is not just doing these acts of mercy; God says, love doing them; enjoy the privilege to do them.
c. WALK HUMBLY WITH GOD: Be a devoted worshipper of God. Reverence Him as One bigger and higher than you. Live a life of submission to God, and do not carry yourself as better than those around you. Be appreciative of the grace of God in your life and refuse words and actions that cut others down and paint you as the ‘great and ultimate one.’
What Prophet Micah is saying is that the true religion of Christ is relationships: relationship with God and towards man. You cannot claim to love God and be hateful, corrupt, wicked, abusive, or do things that undermine a colleague or a fellow believer. God measures your Christianity, not by how many sacrifices, oil (anointing) you have, or how great a giver you are. God requires Justice, Mercy, and Humility. These are great virtues that will help you in life and work.
God has not hidden these things from us. Micah said, “He has shown you….” Now that you know what the Lord requires, it will be advantageous if you do them.
PHOTO QUOTE
ADDITIONAL TEXTS:
I John 4:20-21, Matthew 18:27-33, and Proverbs 21:3
PRAYERS:
+ Lord, let my religion not just stop with acts of worship in church; let it translate to living a life of impact – making the lives of those around me better.
+ Lord, cure me of every rebellion and hardness of heart. Teach me to do Your will always.
+ I receive the grace to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.
