[ecko_quote source="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?[/ecko_quote]
I love Micah 6:8 It is one of the greatest verses in all of the Old Testament. It says, “He hath shown thee, O man, what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee.” Historically, Micah 6:8 has served as one of the most celebrated verses within Scripture. This passage has served as the basis for numerous songs, sermons, and conferences. This text has become the core text deployed by the Church as a rallying cry for justice and advocacy.
Number one, what is good? Number two, what does God want? Do you want to know and hear what is good? The rest of the verse tells you:“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 walk humbly with your God? God says, “Show mercy to people, do right yourself and just walk with Me.”
If you ask people, “What does God want?” some might say, “Well, God wants us to serve Him.” Friend, if all God wanted was service, He could just use the angels. They would do a better job than we—always innocently obeying, always on the job, full of power. God doesn’t want mere service, even though we should serve Him, but that is not why He created us.
Some might answer, “Well, God wants scholars. God wants us to learn all the facts about Him.” No. He wants you to study, but what is the bottom line? God wants to walk with you. Why did He create you? He created you in His image so He could have fellowship with you. You are created for fellowship with Him. ‘To walk humbly with thy God.
Can two walk together unless they be agreed? (Amos 3:3). For walking with God there must be communion, based in love, and resulting in imitation. And that communion must be constant, and run through all the life, like a golden thread through some web.
The message of Micah is still relevant today. Religious rites, no matter how extravagant, can never compensate for a lack of love (1 Corinthians 13:3). External compliance to rules is not as valuable in God’s eyes as a humble heart that simply does what is right. God’s people today will continue to desire justice, mercy, and humbly walk with God.
[Image Source: http://jonah.uec.nz/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/walking-with-God.jpg]
Pastor Jonah Ravinder- United Telugu Church- Auckland, New Zealand; LWFM- Andrian Rogers
