“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?”Micah 6:8 (KJV)
Micah's summary of what God requires, applied to speech, money, work, and how we treat people with no power to repay us.
Micah gives three requirements, and none of them are religious activities. Do justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly. This is what God asks of ordinary people in ordinary weeks.
To do justly is to be fair when unfairness would be profitable and undetected. In wages paid, in goods sold, in accounts kept, in stories told about people who are not in the room.
To love mercy is to be glad about forgiveness rather than merely willing to grant it. It shows most clearly in how we treat people who cannot repay us and people who have wronged us.
To walk humbly is to keep remembering who is God and who is not. That single habit prevents most of the damage religious people do.
Key points
- God's requirements here are ethical, not ceremonial.
- Justice is tested where unfairness would go undetected.
- Humility prevents most of the harm religious people cause.
A prayer to close
Lord, teach me to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with You. Guard me from using religion as a cover for pride. Amen.
