#DailyDevotion What The LORD Wants You To Do
Micah 66What should I bring when I meet the LORD and bow to God on high? Should I come to Him with burnt offerings with calves a year old? 7Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand streams of olive oil? Should I give my firstborn for my wrong, the child of my body for my sin? 8You were told, O man, what is good and what the LORD wants from you: only to do what is right, love mercy, and live humbly with your God.
The LORD had told the people of Israel to plead their case before him. They were asked to give a reason for their treachery and rebellion against him and against his ways. The LORD presented his cause before them. He reminded them all he had done for them as a people. He saved them from the Egyptians and those nations along the way.
Verses six and seven seem to be their reply. What sort of offerings should they bring to meet the LORD and to worship him? They offer some suggestions: burnt offerings of year old calves, thousands of rams, rivers of olive oil, or their firstborn as sacrifices. It really seems they know what is required in the Law and are mocking God. For the Law of Moses can still be found and what the LORD requires of them can easily be found. They simply do not want to repent. They do not want to worship the LORD their God.
Many former Christians have the same attitude as these Israelites. You yourself may be on your way to becoming one of them. Somewhere along the way you got the wrong idea of what it means to be a Christian. You have receive some false and bad information about Jesus Christ, God of the Bible and what God’s attitude towards your is and what he wants from you. Satan may be deceiving you into pushing off onto you certain aspects of the things the LORD did righteously in the past that you think are unjust (but your sense of fairness here is actually based on what God has taught, figure that out). He may be deceiving you into thinking the LORD is cruel if he actually sacrificed his son to save you. Maybe, just maybe you just don’t like what God has actually told you what he expects of your as his children.
Whatever the case may be, for you or the Israelites of Micah’s day, the LORD’s reply is this, “only to do what is right, love mercy, and live humbly with your God.” Yes the LORD had told the Israelites what he wanted of them in the Law. Do what is right. Love the LORD your God will all your heart, soul and mind and love your neighbor as yourself. The rest of the commandments the LORD gave to Israel explained to them how this was to be done. John and Jesus tells us Christians and everyone else (including the Jews) believe in God’s Son Jesus Christ (trust him) and love your neighbor as yourself.
He tells us to love mercy. That means we should love helping people out especially if they do not deserve it and if they are our enemies. Live humbly before your God. That means believe you cannot save yourself. Trust that God the LORD has saved you through the sacrifice of his Son Jesus Christ. Live your life believing every good thing you have is a gift from your heavenly Father for the sake of Christ Jesus. The gifts he gives to you he wants you to share with those who have none.
Merciful and Loving Father, you have given so much to us in your Son Jesus Christ. Grant us faith, humility and love that we may be merciful and kind to our fellows and live humbly before you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.