With What Shall I Come?

Micah 6:1-8
1Hear what the Lord says: Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice.
2Hear, you mountains, the indictment of the Lord, and you enduring foundations of the earth, for the Lord has an indictment against his people, and he will contend with Israel.
3“O my people, what have I done to you? How have I wearied you? Answer me!
4For I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
5O my people, remember what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord.”
6“With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?
7Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
8He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

In the center of Micah lies a gem. It is this call and response found in Micah 6:6 & 8. With what shall I come before the Lord . . . to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God. That’s it. It’s not complicated, but apparently it is difficult, for we need to be constantly reminded.

Micah reiterates Israel’s story. God has saved them from bondage to slavery. He has graciously provided all that they need, including the land promised to Abraham generations before they arrived on the scene. He has protected them from predators such as the king of Moab, Balak; even using the talking donkey of Balaam when necessary. And when we ask God what He wants from our lives for His generosity, His answer is simple; love justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God.

Let’s examine those three requirements: Justice, kindness, humility. Seems easy enough. But we can be a fickle people. Justice is fine if I come out on top. I’ll express kindness, but only if you are kind to me. And humility – well, it is so simple to deceive ourselves about our humility level. What did Satan use to tempt Adam and Eve? He appealed to their pride and won.

But this verse is not meant to be an indictment but instead a path. I believe we are most certainly called upon to monitor our walk with the Lord; to ask ourselves if we are truly living lives of justice, kindness, and humility. And to let the Holy Spirit inspire in us actions of these qualities that will witness to the world of God’s love. When we fail – and we will fail – we can rely upon the grace of God who sent His Son to pay for our sins of omission. I pray that when I behave or even think in a manner that belies justice, kindness, or humility, the Holy Spirit, will speak into my heart words of reproach and He will draw me ever closer to a godly expression of these attributes.

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