WHAT DOES THE LORD REQUIRE?

The prophet Micah writes, “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 6:8). Notice the question: “What does the Lord require of you?” The answer is given: “to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.” There are some important lessons we can glean from this Scripture.

First, the question, “What does the Lord require of you,” certainly implies that GOD DOES REQUIRE SOMETHING OF MEN. How often do we think of our duty to God as compared with how often we think of what He does for us? For most people, their thoughts are usually more on God supplying their needs and wants. This is not to say that we ought not to look to God for blessings. At the same time, however, we should be concerned about what we must do to please Him. “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Let each one of us ask, “What does the Lord require of ME?”

The verse begins with the statement, “He has shown you, O man, what is good.” This informs us that THE GOOD WAY IS THE WAY REVEALED BY GOD. It is not up to me to decide what is good, what is pleasing to God. The Lord tells us what is required. Jeremiah wrote: “O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). The mind of man cannot by know the will of God without help. It must be revealed to Him, and it is revealed in the Scriptures.

What does the Lord require? The first two things revealed here concern our dealings with our fellow man. We cannot ignore our duties to others and expect to please God. TO DO JUSTLY asserts the neces­sity of honesty and fairness in all things. The Bible says, “The righteous man walks in his integrity” (Proverbs 20:7). Again, in Proverbs we read: “Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than one perverse in his ways, though he be rich” (Proverbs 28:6). We must always do what is right, what is just, in dealing with our fellow man.

Second, to please God we must LOVE MERCY. Not only must we be honest and fair; but also we must do what we can to assist others. Also, included in the concept of mercy is forgiveness. Jesus said that if we will not forgive others, God will not forgive us (Matthew 6:14-15). The apostle Paul declared that we should not only refuse to steal, but also work that we may have to give to people in need (Ephesians 4:28) The principle of loving mercy is demonstrated in the parable of the Good Samaritan. The “hero” of the story was not among the thieves who inflicted the harm that befell the man. Neither was he with the priest and Levite who he ignored his suffering. Instead, he was one who loved mercy and showed it to the helpless traveler by treating his wounds and providing for his care.

The third requirement concerns our relationship with God. God tells us we must WALK HUMBLY WITH HIM. This includes doing everything commanded, because humility is the beginning point of obedience. Jesus Christ, who perfectly did all that His Father commanded, first humbled Himself. Philippians 2:8 says of Christ: “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” This is the opposite of arrogant refusal to do God’s will. Have you ever heard anyone say, or said yourself, “I don’t care what the Bible says, I do not believe it.” God requires that we walk humbly with Him. That means we must submit to His will and do as He commands.

Micah answers the question, “What does the Lord require of you?” Now you must answer the question, “Am I doing it?”
--Lamar