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1 Hear what the Lord says: Rise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. 2 Hear, you mountains, the controversy of the Lord, and you enduring foundations of the earth; for the Lord has a controversy with his people, and he will contend with Israel. 3 "O my people, what have I done to you? In what have I wearied you? Answer me! 4 For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and redeemed you from the house of slavery; and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. 5 O my people, remember now what King Balak of Moab devised, what Balaam son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the saving acts of the Lord." 6 "With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, 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?" 8 He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:1-8 NRSV)
Happy Wednesday, dear Friend! May this time spent with God be an investment for a day filled with purpose, meaning, and opportunities to bless the work of God in our midst.
It seems the desire of God to be united with His people was a never-ending one-sided conversation between God and His prophets; the people, for the most part were deaf to anything God. Do I even have to state that the people of God's memory was very limited to what God had done on their behalf? Does that sound familiar in your life? The moment we stop thanking God for something that God did on our behalf, it becomes the moment we either forget or tend to overlook the great things the Lord has done. Not a good place to be!
And after the recap of past history and God victories, the Lord sums up to the prophet and to us, what it is that God requires of all believers. There's a list of three: Do justice. Love Kindness. Walk humbly with our God. The three sum up recurrent themes throughout the Bible, God-themes. God desires us to practice and live lives of justice. That means fairness to all. No impartiality towards any one group or person; everyone is the same. Everyone deserves the same treatment as others.
The second one is about living a life that cares for others in ways that show our concern for one another; like kindness. And as I write this I confess that having been a driver in Houston traffic since yesterday, this is a difficult subject. I was shown kindness by some, and I showed kindness to others, but there were some whom I judged as not worthy of any kindness because of how they drove. So, Lord in Thy mercy, hear my prayer and forgive me and show me how to be all about kindness.
The third one is a life that desires a nearness and devoted walking with God in all things and in all ways. A humble walk is one that listens more than anything else. In a humble walk, God is the leader and we are the followers. The more we walk the more God can share with us and help us to mature and grow.
Friend, I for one, need a daily checklist of these three things. I should begin and end my day reflecting on the way I have treated others. Did I favor someone over another? Did I show preference to one group over another? How can I live my life in a way that guides my life towards justice? Secondly, I need ask, does kindness come naturally to me? Do I genuinely care about others enough to love that way of living? Can I put myself second, behind God and behind God's creatures? If not, what do I have to do to change that? And finally, let me learn how to walk humbly with God in ways that bless me and allows me to be a blessing to others. This is my prayer.
PRAYER: Loving God, let me pray the above as my daily morning and evening prayer. Help me to be a person that gives witness to God? And Lord, I pray for all those in need. Bring healing and comfort to them in a way that blesses Your name; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Have you got the three in line to live that way?
Receive my blessing of peace and love!
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr. Pastor Eradio Valverde
