It is amazing to me that God has patience for us human beings. We constantly disobey Him, follow our own passions and desires, and reject His Word and yet His love is everlasting and eternal. What do we do to deserve such love and mercy? What should we do?
Yesterday I was reading from a daily devotional that my mom gave me -- The One Year Daily Grind by Sarah Arthur -- and was particularly struck by a passage from Micah chapter six. I am always excited when I discover a hidden gem in the Scriptures and for me, Micah 6:6-8 is truly beautiful. The author’s poetic, fluid writing style speaks vividly to me as a writer and aesthete but more importantly, his message resonates to my soul as a Christian trying to please God.
Micah 6:6-8 (New International Version)
6 With what shall I come before the LORD
and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
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.
God didn’t want Israel’s sacrifices and offerings. He wanted THEM: their hearts, their souls, their whole beings. Israel had turned from God to follow idols and pagan deities but were still trying to appease God with sacrifices. Today, just like in Micah’s day (750-680 B.C.), God desires that we live transformed lives. He doesn’t care about the religious rituals we perform but that we “act justly,” “love mercy,” and “walk humbly” with Him. Are we fulfilling His commands?
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