In Micah 6 we find God contending with Israel.  God has been good to His people.  He has delivered them and led them and protected them.  The Lord is righteous.  Israel has sinned and grown away from God.  What does God expect of Israel? Micah 6:6-8 (NKJV) 6 With what shall I come before the Lord, And bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, With calves a year old? 7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, Ten thousand 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 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? Micah asks, “Does God want your burnt offerings; does He want thousands of rams with ten thousand rivers of oil?  Does he want you to sacrifice your children?” Then Micah answers his own question.  He reminds the Israelites that God has shown them repeatedly what He wants from them. God doesn’t want sacrifices of burnt offerings!  He doesn’t want your children!  He wants you – us – to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with Him. God goes on in this chapter to point out that the Israelites are worshiping idols and measuring with wicked balances; their practices with other people are not honest.  He says that the people are lying and being deceitful.  If they don’t return to God, He will discipline the nation.  Return to God’s Ways:  to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. Child of God, has God been good to you?  Has He delivered you from evil?  Has He ever led you when you didn’t know which way to go?  Has He protected you from harm of any kind?  If you are His Child, then He has been there for you more times than you can count.  God is faithful.  He keeps His promises; He does not change; He cannot lie. So what does He expect of you?             To do justly             To love mercy             To walk humbly with Him Are you doing justly?  Are you doing things the “right” way – the Scriptural way?  There is not one set of rules for today and another set for tomorrow.  There are many who practice that kind of lifestyle – including Believers.  But God’s Ways are consistent; they are unchanging.   Today’s society would teach us the concept of situation ethics – that is, if it works, if everything turns out ok, it doesn’t matter how you get there.  The end justifies the means.  These are lies straight from Hell. What about mercy?  Do you love mercy?  Mercy is unmerited favor.  Mercy is going the extra mile when there isn’t a tangible reward.  Mercy is being “The Good Samaritan” (see Luke 10).  Mercy says I will treat you with God’s Love even when you don’t deserve it or there is nothing in it for me.  Mercy gives another chance to someone who has wronged her. This is what Jesus told the Pharisees about mercy: Matthew 9:13 (HCSB) 13 Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice… Sometimes it is our idols that cause us to be unmerciful.  We probably aren’t worshiping statues as the Israelites were doing, but we have other idols such as material possessions, financial security, entertainment, lust, popularity, and praise.  Anything that comes between you and God is an idol. The last thing that God “requires” is that we walk humbly with the Lord our God. Jesus was humble.  He did not compromise but He loved mercy and walked humbly with God; He was obedient to the death of the cross.  What are you refusing to do because of your pride or fear?  Sometimes it is what you are refusing to “receive” because of your pride.  Sometimes it is a place of service that you feel is beneath your station in life.  What could be more lowly than washing someone’s feet?  What could be more humbling than being God and being stripped and beaten beyond recognition?  What could be more fearful than being crucified?  What are you refusing to accept or do or believe that is keeping you from walking humbly with the Lord your God? **Lord Jesus, return unto me the joy of my salvation.  Help me to do justly, love mercy, and to walk humbly with You.  No job is too meaningless, no request is too hard, no principle should be left undone.  Search me and show me my sins.  Show me how to do justly, love mercy, and to walk humbly with You.  In Your Holy Name I pray.  Amen.