He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Micah 6:8 KJV
Context and Charge:
God leaves us in no doubt what His expectations from us are. He is not a boss who seeks to lord it over us for the sake of proving he is the boss, but with the power of omniscience, He wants us to be aware of the world we live in, its limits and demands, and how we can successfully navigate it. Who else can help me with the uncertain world, than the One who created it? Who else can help me with its intricacies than the all-wise God? For all who know and have surrendered to God, it is like a big advantage over those who don't. Do I know this God, and does He know me as His own?
God has shown us all what is good. There is a portion of God's spirit in man, which was received when God breathed upon man. Without any prompt, we know when we do wrong but we can choose to ignore the silent warnings. Even creation speaks of the demands and expectations of God, and there will be no excuse for any man who chooses to ignore all these warnings. That good I was formed to do is the good I must pursue, if I will become all that God intends. I have God as the perfect example of good to look up to and emulate. He does only good and all who will show him off must also do good.
Contention and Conclusion:
There are three dimensions referred to in today's extract. The first is to do justly. This would mean that my intention and action align. I do not say one thing and do the opposite. My life must look like one that knows the value and impact of God's kind of justice. The next is to love mercy. It sounds a bit contradictory to do justly and to love mercy at the same time, but when a man walks with God, he has God's mind and can live right. There will be times to insist on what is right in full view, and there will be times when even when justice is applied, it is tempered with mercy, without belittling God's expectations for our life.
The last is to walk humbly with thy God. It's the personal and private touch to the public interaction of the other 2 stated above. Justice and mercy are best understood in the light of interactions with other people, while humility is the fundamental ingredient in my walk with God. When I have all 3 in place, my life will definitely make impact. I also note that there is no OR in that verse, which means it is not really about picking and choosing what is convenient for you, but complying with all that God demands. God has made clear what his expectations are; what is my response going to be? God's time of favour is here.
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