What the Lord Requires
Scripture Reading — Micah 6:1-8
What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8
God requires that as a husband I remain faithful to my wife. As a father, I must take care of my children. As a pastor, I must preach the Word of God. When I fulfill such requirements, I keep my commitments.
God has expectations for his people. In our reading for today, the prophet Micah tells Israel about God's requirements for everyday living. God provides a wonderful pattern for us to follow.
When we treat people fairly, we stand up for justice as God did for Israel. God delivered his people from slavery in Egypt, so Israel was required to show respect and care for everyone. God's people were never to take advantage of strangers or poor or powerless people.
Living a life of mercy means taking each day as a gift from God. Are you breathing right now? That's God's gift to you! Do you have a warm home? Give glory to God! Have you experienced God's forgiveness? God has chosen to give us undeserved mercies through his gifts of life, family, resources, and salvation.
The life of discipleship has been described as walking with God. We walk with a never-giving-up, unwilling-to-let-go, outrageously generous God. In Jesus Christ, the incarnate God walks with us, showing us how to pattern our lives after his own.
Let's walk with the King and be a blessing.
<p>Lord, thank you for these requirements that are not burdens to complain about but are wonderful ways for us to practice love for you and our neighbors. Amen.</p>
About the author — Reginald Smith
Dr. Reginald Smith is senior pastor at Roosevelt Park Community Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he has served for seventeen years. He has also served as a pastor in Paterson, New Jersey. He and his wife, Sharon, have three daughters, Janelle, Katrina, and Mariah.
Start your day with quick daily devotions.
See God's love, power, presence, and purpose in your life every day!