Micah 6:8

Micah 6:8 “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
There are passages in the Bible that amaze me by their simplicity and at the same time by their depth.
The first time that this passage jumped out at me it was being sung at a service at Calvary Chapel in Rochester, NY. It was sung in a call and response format and I was enthralled by its’ beauty.
Growing up I was confronted with lists of do’s and don’ts. People’s hearts were in the right place but I think at times it is easier to follow rules than to hear the heart of God and walk it out.
This passage shares God’s heart for His people.
He starts out by telling us that He has told us what He wants. He has not kept it hidden from us or shrouded it in mystery.  As it has been said by many others before me, the Jews were so focused on the letter of the law that they could not understand the spirit of the law. In our vernacular, they couldn’t see the forest for the trees.
What does it mean to be good in God’s eyes? What expectations does the Lord have of each and every one of us? It’s as easy as one, two, and three.
1.      Act justly. Well maybe not so simple. To act justly is to love justice in a world full of injustice. How many times have you heard someone say, “That’s not fair!”? God is just and He hates injustice. We who are His children need to be the same. Edmund Burke said that, “the only thing that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing”. We cannot tolerate injustice, we must not be silent. Most of us think of ourselves as being good people and not as the ones who perpetrate injustice, but anyone who stands by while others perpetrate injustice are just as guilty. The Golden rule puts us in the place of how we might perceive things were they being done unto us and unless it passes the smell test then we should not tolerate it. To act justly is to be like Christ even if it costs us the ultimate sacrifice and we are called to lay down our lives for the cause of justice.

2.      To love mercy. To love mercy is easy when you have received it. We deserved death and instead were given eternal life through Christ’s atonement. Like I said before God is just and He cannot tolerate injustice. If justice were to be met in our lives we would be condemned to eternal damnation in the lake of fire. Don’t think of yourself more highly than you ought for we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. If you want mercy for yourself then learn to be merciful towards those who have hurt you and betrayed you. It’s His mercy that leads to repentance.

3.      Walk humbly with your God. Jim Collins in his most recent book Great by Choice says that level 5 leaders (the most successful ones) display a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will. Humility comes from an understanding that no man is an island. It comes from the knowledge that we are all completely dependent on God. Even our next breath is not guaranteed us if it is not willed by God. Whatever modicum of success we may have comes first, foremost and completely from Him. The more yielded to Him we are the more effective we will become. Humility then, put us in the right relationship with Him. Walking in humility propels us in the right direction and allows Him to steer our lives. A boat needs to be moving in order for the captain to be able to steer it. If the boat is stopped it doesn’t matter which way the helm turns the rudder the boat will not turn. Walking in humility requires movement and the willingness to allow Him to take the helm

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