This isn't a bad thing, nor is it evil. It's just the way we humans tend to think. We forget those things that aren't constantly thumping against our brains. On top of that, we are constantly bombarded by the noise of the world. Little cares take away our focus. Worries of the world bog us down. This leads to our relationship with the Lord growing colder than it should.
Micah had seen such amongst the people of Israel. God gave him words by which to remind His people what was really important. As we see in Micah chapter six, verses six and seven, God, through Micah, asks His people a series of questions:
"Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, [and] bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, [or] with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn [for] my transgression, the fruit of my body [for] the sin of my soul?"
Truly, this is a situation of "what do you give the Man that has everything?" Notice how each step of example gets bigger, and more difficult...and crazier when you try to imagine in the doing. Will a simple sacrifice make God happy? How about a couple of truckloads of sacrifices? Would God be please with millions of gallons of oil, poured out for Him? Even the thought of killing child and self is presented.
How about us? Do you ever find yourself promising God that you'll be a better Christian. You promise that you'll give more money to the church. You'll pray harder. You'll throw out all your old stuff and become a monk. But, would God be pleased by this?
Instead, let's see what God really wants from us.
How about us? Do you ever find yourself promising God that you'll be a better Christian. You promise that you'll give more money to the church. You'll pray harder. You'll throw out all your old stuff and become a monk. But, would God be pleased by this?
Instead, let's see what God really wants from us.
"He hath shewed thee, O man, what [is] good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"
Wow! God doesn't want (and He sure doesn't need) any of your possessions. Hey, He made them all to begin with. Instead, He asks for three simple things:
Do justly.
Love mercy.
Walk humbly with Him.
In order to justly, one must (according to the dictionary) be honorable and fair in one's dealings and actions. Never take the low road when you interact with other people. Aim to be honest beyond what is expected in the world today. Play fair! You know--take the smaller piece of cake, return the money that you found, let others go first. The basic things you SHOULD have been taught as a child. Be that child again, for the Lord!
Mercy. We display mercy when we are compassionate, kind and forgiving to others. No matter what a fight may be about, be the peacemaker. When you come across a person that is down, give them a hand instead of the boot. Care for those around you. Try to make the lives of others as important to you as your own.
To be humble is to be meek or modest in behavior; not prideful, not arrogant. God Almighty, creator of all and everything, ruler and master of all that was, is or will be, has every reason to dislike pride and arrogance from His creations. What would you think of a child that has been cared for, loved and nurtured by it's parents, if that child turned around and took the credit for everything the parents did? How about if a coworker took the raise and the promotion that you did the work for? God just wants to walk day after day with those people that love Him, and respect Him for who He is. What He wants from people is the same as what He wanted from Adam and Eve...fellowship.
All this is nothing new. Jesus taught us all of these things:
Do justly.
Love mercy.
Walk humbly with Him.
In order to justly, one must (according to the dictionary) be honorable and fair in one's dealings and actions. Never take the low road when you interact with other people. Aim to be honest beyond what is expected in the world today. Play fair! You know--take the smaller piece of cake, return the money that you found, let others go first. The basic things you SHOULD have been taught as a child. Be that child again, for the Lord!
Mercy. We display mercy when we are compassionate, kind and forgiving to others. No matter what a fight may be about, be the peacemaker. When you come across a person that is down, give them a hand instead of the boot. Care for those around you. Try to make the lives of others as important to you as your own.
To be humble is to be meek or modest in behavior; not prideful, not arrogant. God Almighty, creator of all and everything, ruler and master of all that was, is or will be, has every reason to dislike pride and arrogance from His creations. What would you think of a child that has been cared for, loved and nurtured by it's parents, if that child turned around and took the credit for everything the parents did? How about if a coworker took the raise and the promotion that you did the work for? God just wants to walk day after day with those people that love Him, and respect Him for who He is. What He wants from people is the same as what He wanted from Adam and Eve...fellowship.
All this is nothing new. Jesus taught us all of these things:
"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
"This is the first and great commandment.
"And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
"On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
Matt. 22:37-40
"This is the first and great commandment.
"And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
"On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
Matt. 22:37-40
When we do these things, God the Father/Son/Holy Spirit will be please with us. And, when we are doing these things, everything else that we should be doing will fall into place.
These are the "Brass Tacks" of our Christian walk. These are the fruits of our relationship with Jesus Christ.
Grace and Peace....
These are the "Brass Tacks" of our Christian walk. These are the fruits of our relationship with Jesus Christ.
Grace and Peace....
