What Does the Lord Require of You?

What Does the Lord Require of You?

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

The prophet Micah, inspired by the Holy Spirit of God wrote of the birth, reign and deliverance of our Messiah Jesus Christ. His message is an awakening call to God’s people.  Micah emphasizes that a true relationship with the Lord will be seen in a practice of mercy, compassion and justice toward all.  

A key verse is Micah 6:8 (NKJV): 
^“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?”

Justice must flow in mercy and humility.

We must realize that mercy does not enable the sinner to remain in sin.  Mercy does not deliver us from the consequences of our actions. God, in His mercy, has paid the wages of sin for us, but in His mercy, as well, we must face the consequences of our decisions and of our behaviors.  We grow when we accept the responsibility for what we have done. 

Remembering that the mercy of God has redeemed us, we must pray for the salvation of those facing justice both in the world and in heaven. That is mercy.  That is humility.  It is not God’s desire that any should perish. (2 Peter 3:9).

To walk in humility, we must walk in forgiveness.  As Christians, we often struggle with forgiving others and ourselves because we operate under a false perception of forgiveness. To forgive does not mean that we deny the hurt and anguish that other people or circumstances have brought into our lives.  To forgive does not mean that we do not want others to face justice.  To forgive does not necessarily mean that we put ourselves back into the line of fire.  

To forgive is “to stop feeling anger toward someone who has done something wrong; to stop blaming someone; to stop feeling anger about something.”[i]  Forgiveness, especially for the deeply wounded, is a process not a single event.  When we are wounded, whether physically, emotionally or spiritually, we cannot heal without experiencing a grieving process.  Progressive forgiveness, whether we are forgiving ourselves or others, will expedite that process.  An ever present prayer in my own life is, “I forgive.  Father God, please help my unforgiveness.”

Many would like to eradicate the Church today.    In spite of what is happening, we cannot fall into the snares of unrighteous anger and name-calling.  We must stop attacking individuals and start standing against ungodly ideologies.  We must stop giving into fear and start walking in faith.   

Most of all, we must remember that just as judgment starts at the house of God, so does transformation.  The more we walk in mercy, humility and forgiveness, the more we will see justice manifested in our land. 

Isaiah 60:1-3 (NKJV) “Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you.

The Gentiles (unbelievers) shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.”

Psalm 106:3 (NKJV) “Blessed are those who keep justice, and he who does righteousness at all times!” 

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[i] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forgive