"What can we bring to the Lord? What kind of offerings should we give him? Should we bow before God with offerings of yearling calves? Should we offer him thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins? No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:6-8
When I was a little girl, I went every Tuesday night to a group for girls called Busy Bees when we were very young, and Calvinettes when we were older. Every Tuesday evening we began our time together with Micah 6:8 and I have thought about it lots since then in many circumstances. Often, I think of it when my heart does not want to conform to one of the directives contained therein. Three things, we are told, are required of us, and all of them are active and engaging requirements. We cannot passively conform to any of them. We must do, love and walk.
What is it to do justice? Other translations say "do what is right." How often it is easier to ignore what is right! It is sometimes painful to tell the truth, or admit a mistake, or perform an unlimited number of other "rights." Acting justly for others is usually hard. It is a requirement nonetheless, and sometimes we miss the mark.
Loving mercy is the bit I think about most. We are required to love being merciful. Mercy is "compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one's power." It is forgiveness, unconditional. To be grudgingly merciful is not enough. (Oh, dear.)
The final requirement is to "walk humbly." Not only are we to walk with God, but we are to do it humbly! How difficult this becomes as we consider how amazing it is that we are the "prized possession of God" (James 1:18). It is also hard when things are going well, and we have received many blessings. Pride tends to creep in, doesn't it?
All in all, the three requirements are impossibilities on our own. The good news is that Jesus performed them perfectly so that we could do them better with His help and example. He loved us enough to be merciful, taking our punishment, judgment and curse on himself so that we can escape death. He "drank the cup" so that we don't have to. He performed justice, taking what we deserved and paying the price. He walked humbly with God, accepting the will of the Father throughout His life. He excelled at all three requirements so that we are forgiven when we can't live up to them. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of all, and His death and resurrection have set us free.
-Chanelle
