LEARNING DAILY

 

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.

 

Hosea 6:6, For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

 

The judgment that the people went through because of disobedience to God, for following after idols and worshipping idols is a warning for us today. I do not apologize for the emphasis on the wrongdoings of God’s people because the warnings are clear for us today. We must be devoted to following Him by walking on the narrow way to His Kingdom. The Lord requires each of us “to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” and He wants each of us to know Him on a personal level. Knowledge is not to be just an intellectual knowledge but a knowledge that He is the Lord of our lives, knowledge that travels the fourteen inches or so from our brain to our heart. That knowledge keeps us on the narrow way to eternal life in His kingdom.

 

The Hebrew word for mercy describes loyalty or devotion. The Great Commandment in Matthew 22:34-40 can be summarized by loving God and loving others. When we do this our love to God and others flows out of obedience which is more important to Him than rituals. Yes, in the Old Testament rituals for sacrifice were put into place but the purpose was for them to delight in walking with Him. It was a focus on the inward joy of following Him not the outward ceremony. Today, for example, we can take communion because we remember what Jesus has done for us and rejoice in our fellowship with Him. It is not just a ceremonial process we practice because it is offered at church. At least that should be the reason. Please understand that when our offerings and participation in Bible studies, prayer groups, and going to church become routine, they become unacceptable to God; He desires these activities because of our devotion, obedience, and love for Him. It goes back to getting head knowledge to our hearts!

 

Proverbs 2:6 tells us where knowledge comes from. “For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” Read the verses before and you will see that God gives knowledge of Himself to those who diligently seek and search His Word for understanding. Searching the Scripture causes the seeker to fear God and to have knowledge of Him. I have written this before – seeking to know more about God is like developing human relationships. The more we grow in our knowledge of God, we learn more about who He is, His workings, His will and what He desires from each of us. That should help us be motivated to do all we can to change our lives and walk with Him on the narrow way to His kingdom; we become conformed to Jesus’ image.

 

There is such a lack today of the knowledge of God. I encourage you to be a student of God’s Word, read and study it daily. Seek out help when you come across difficult passages. Know that when you seek to draw closer to God, He is more than willing to be found by you!