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?

 

Deuteronomy 10:12-13 where Moses said, “Hear now Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him and serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?”

 

I want to continue with these verses from the last page of the blog where the meaning of “the heart” was discussed. Today, I want to breakdown what both Micah and Moses said was required of Believers as we walk on the narrow way to eternal life in God’s kingdom.

 

The question being asked is what God requires of us? The answer given is to love God, walk in His ways. And serve Him humbly and with all your heart and soul. We do that by keeping his commandments. Sounds easy enough. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus would say something like one must choose to live this way by walking on a narrow way instead of a broad way. Each of us chooses each day to walk with God the way He requires; He expects His followers to give Him who we are and what we have and let Him bless and provide for us.

 

Remember that God did not want Israel to substitute outward religious forms for loving and following Him from their heart. Now, substitute the word Israel with the Church and your own name. Have you ever wondered what others see when they look at the church or you or me when they look at us? Do they see the light and love of God in us? I do not want others to see me as a good person who goes to church, writes a blog, and does the right thing. Anyone can do those things. Outward appearance of doing the right thing is only valid and significant when they are based on knowing Jesus through faith and love for Him.

 

In 1 Samuel 15:22, the prophet Samuel told King Saul, “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice…”. There is that word – obedience – which people seem to shake and tremble at; it is so much easier to do things that give an appearance of being correct and acceptable to God. You know the outward appearance of being “religious” for an hour on Sunday and then living like hell the rest of the week. Saul’s sin was guilty of putting his own concept of what was right above being obedient to God’s decree. Read the story of Saul in 1 Samuel 15 for yourself. He was partially obedient to what God commanded; but partial obedience is still sin! Oh man, I have many fingers pointing back at me as I point a finger at you!

 

 Let me tell you the importance of this for the day we live in. 2 Thessalonians 2 :9-10 states, “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all powers, signs, and lying wonders, and all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth.” The idea of placing our own concept of right and wrong above what God requires will be at the very center of the end times – the time before Jesus comes for His faithful Church and returns to establish His kingdom on earth.  Let me emphasize again that hollow worship, praise, prayer, going to church and all that ceremonial religious activity is caused by the deception of Satan. Look around you and you can see it everywhere! Satan is doing everything he can to take the place of Christ in the minds and hearts of people, even those who are doing everything they can to walk on the narrow way.

 

We make sure this does not happen by following what Micah 6:8 and Deuteronomy 10:12-13 tell us what God requires from us. Be encouraged this day that God loves each of you and desires you to understand and walk in His ways in love and with all your heart and soul.