LEARNING DAILY

Micah 6:6-8, "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?  Will 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?" He 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?

Micah had gotten the attention of the people in the previous verses. The people listened closely to his words and now they ask what they are to do to make right their relationship with God. They ask what it is they need to bring before the Lord; they want to know what God wants from those who follow Him.

Have you considered what really pleases the Lord in your own walk with Him? Look at what Micah told the people. God values His followers to be just, to be kind, and to walk humbly with Him. This is not a walk with Him that is superficial religious practices or just going through the motions of being a Christian. He does not want the burnt offerings of year-old calves. He does not want the offerings of many rams or a great amount of oil that the rich could bring to Him. Nor does He want the sacrifice of one’s firstborn son.

God wants Believers to stand up for justice which means knowing the difference between right and wrong and choosing to do what is right. It means to protect the innocent and treating people equally. Being kind is extending love and mercy to others by showing them love and compassion; it is extending a helping hand to those in need. It is showing that Believers are not above others but are willing to help and encourage those around them.  Walking humbly should describe the Believer’s heart’s attitude toward God. It is a recognition that they can bring nothing to God; instead, the Believer depends on God every day. These are core values of the Believer’s faith and truly pleases God when the Believer lives them out with a genuine heart.

Why is this so important? Each Believer must become more concerned about an internal transformation than outward religious practices and appearances. It is important to examine our motives and actions to make sure our worship is genuine and aligned with the heart of God. For example, are religious practices being done with unforgiveness remaining in your heart? What are your real motives for the religious things you are doing? God looks beyond the outward appearance to look at the condition of the Believer’s heart.

Micah 6:6 is a challenge to me to prioritize humility, mercy, kindness, justice, and forgiveness in my daily life. It is a challenge to go beyond concentrating on outward performance and rituals to work on a genuine relationship with God and what He desires.