God’s Requirements

The LORD God has told us what is right and what he demands: “See that justice is done, let mercy be your first concern, and humbly obey your God.”       Micah 6:8 (CEV)

Sometimes people surprise me in a good way. A 14-year-old boy has been accused of murdering his father. On the first day he appeared in court, the youth group that he was a part, stood outside the courthouse with posters that had messages like, “We are here for you, _____” and “We are praying”. The pastor was inside the courtroom sitting behind the mother. No judgment. Not their job. Just support.

The prophet Micah brings us a message from God about what God demands from us.  God requires very little from us.  He asks.  He desires.  He demands little.

God wants us to live our lives with integrity.  We are to treat others with fairness or justice.  I am responsible for how I treat others; how I conduct business.  This came to my mind when I pray about the elections and how a candidate’s integrity is a primary criteria when I decide to whom I will place a vote.  I may not agree with all of their decisions but I want to feel that I can trust what they say.

“let mercy be your first concern…”  Let forgiveness be the first thing that I love.  “Don’t hold back forgiveness, Jody.”  I went to bed last night asking God to examine me and tell me if I had withheld forgiveness and bring it to my mind if there was something.  You know what He said?  “Forgive yourself, Jody. I have.”  Ohhhh! That struck my heart!  I immediately saw something that had happened where I had just beat myself for not doing something.  I had failed!  It sounds …dumb…when I write it down but God is so right that I can extend forgiveness to others but hold myself in such a shackle of un-forgiveness!   How arrogant!

This leads right to humbly being obedient to God.  God is …God.  To look at the previous paragraph and see how I certainly wasn’t humble in my obedience but in fact arrogantly dis-obedient was enlightening.  And humbling.  It is one of those moments when all I can do is go to my knees and ask that God create in my a clean heart (Psalm 51) and how lovingly awesome God is to do just that!

God is so good to love us so much to tell us; teach us what He wants for us.  I don’t think it is so much being able to hear God.  I think it is more about having open ears and open heart to accept what He is saying.  Have you ever asked a question that you thought you already knew the answer and so that is the answer you heard?  It is not what the person actually said?!!  I think that is what happens many times when I am filtering God’s voice and not truly listening.  Yes, there are times that He is silent.  I need to be open for that also.  I need to be open to God.  And that is walking with Him.