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Category Archives: Micah

Micah 6:6-8

04 Jan

6 What can we bring to the Lord?
    Should we bring him burnt offerings?
Should we bow before God Most High
    with offerings of yearling calves?
7 Should we offer him thousands of rams
    and ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Should we sacrifice our firstborn children
    to pay for our sins?

8 No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,
    and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
    and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:6-8

Dear God, I was talking with a pastor friend the other day about theology and how errant mine (and everyone’s) probably is. I mean, really, how can we know you? How can we think we can begin to understand you and what makes you tick? How to ensure we have your favor? It’s ridiculous. So while I have my thoughts about you, I tend to hold them loosely with the understanding that I can’t begin to understand how little I understand you. As far as I am concerned, you are un-understandable.

So why do I walk in faith. Because I am a believer in the two great commandments: Love you with everything I have and love my neighbor as myself. I told my pastor friend that when I am on the other side of life and you are considering whether or not my soul is worthy of eternity in your presence, I envision you patting me on the head and saying, “You know what? You had a lot wrong about your so-called “theology,” but you loved me and you loved others. That’s what I needed you to do.”

That’s kind of what Micah is saying here. Do what is right. Love mercy. Walk humbly with God. I can contrive all of these things I should do and sacrifice to be with you, but in the end it’s about simply doing these things.

Father, help me to do that today. Help me to do what is right. I mean, really right. Help me to show incredible mercy because you have show me incredible mercy. And help me to simply walk humbly in your presence. Holy Spirit, walk with me and speak to me. Jesus, advocate for me to the Father and teach me. And Father, well, all I want is your love. Thank you for giving it to me so freely.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 4, 2025 in Micah

 

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Micah 6:6-8

04 Jan


6 What can we bring to the Lord?
    Should we bring him burnt offerings?
Should we bow before God Most High
    with offerings of yearling calves?
7 Should we offer him thousands of rams
    and ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Should we sacrifice our firstborn children
    to pay for our sins?

8 No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,
    and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
    and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:6-8

Dear God, this passage reminds me of what Samuel told Saul after he went ahead with a sacrificial ceremony instead of waiting for Samuel in 1 Samuel 15 :22-23.

22 But Samuel replied,

“What is more pleasing to the Lord:
    your burnt offerings and sacrifices
    or your obedience to his voice?
Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice,
    and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
23 Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft,
    and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.
So because you have rejected the command of the Lord,
    he has rejected you as king.”

Is it that hard to obey? I was listening to this very faithful young woman talk yesterday about her need to repent, and how she loves how her Presbyterian church has part of each service where she and everyone else, including the pastor gets down on their knees and, to the best of their abilities, repent of their sins. She also teaches young children in Sunday school and she said that one of the children asked her about that part of the church service. She told the child that grown-ups make mistakes too, and all of us need to ask you for forgiveness. I have to admit that I really admire this young woman, and one of my thoughts was, “You sin that often?” But then I thought, “Of course she does. What am I thinking?”

I’m sure some people look at me and think much too highly of me. They might think I am more holy than I am. But you know my heart. You know how selfish and insecure I can be. You know the vices against which I struggle. And you know I try. I don’t just expect to be allowed to sin and then walk back arrogantly claiming the blood of Jesus over them without remorse.

That leads me to addiction. I heard about a young woman today I know who checked herself into a rehab facility yesterday. I have addictions of my own, although, thankfully, they aren’t substances like drugs and alcohol. But food is certainly one. Gossip. Oh, there are all kinds of things I could list.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I want to first pray for this woman. There is a lot of pain in her heart and life right now. Please help her. Please use this to bring her to yourself. Draw her to yourself. Help this to be her bottom. Use this in the lives of those around her too. Bring her your complete and total healing. And help me, Father, to be exactly who you need me to be. Help me to take the vices in my life and be free of them. Help me to be the man you want me to be. Use me. I think of the song “Spirit of the Living God”: “Break me, melt me, mold me, fill me. Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me.”

I pray this in your holy, Triune name,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 4, 2024 in 1 Samuel, Micah

 

Micah 6:6-8

04 Feb

6 What can we bring to the Lord?
    Should we bring him burnt offerings?
Should we bow before God Most High
    with offerings of yearling calves?
7 Should we offer him thousands of rams
    and ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Should we sacrifice our firstborn children
    to pay for our sins?

8 No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,
    and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
    and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:6-8

Dear God, verse 8 is likely Micah’s most quoted verse, and I don’t like taking it out of context without looking at all of Micah, but I do thing the overall message of what you are saying through Micah in verses 1-5 and then Micah’s follow-up to the Israelites in verse 6-8. Do we sacrifice and bring a big, “I’m so sorry!” or do we resolve to do what is right, love mercy, and then walk humbly with you? What will it be for me today?

One caveat I have is doing what is right for the right reason. I can do what is right an awful lot, but sometimes it’s for the desire of selfish gain. I do what it right because I want it to influence an outcome that if preferrable to me. It can happen with my wife. It can happen in my job. Among friends.

What about loving mercy. I was reading a commentary that pointed out this morning that it is one thing to have mercy, but it’s another thing to love mercy. Do I find joy and peace in the mercy I extend to others, or do I get either some kind of power trip out of it or still secretly hold the grudge? When I extend mercy, is it rooted in you?

Then walking humbly with you. Well, humility is an interesting thing. To do something humbly with you can be tricky because I so love getting attention for being good. Even yesterday, I was offered an opportunity that some might consider to have some power and prestige. I can honestly tell you that that is not why I accepted. In fact, it’s why I almost declined. I accepted because I will be able to perform a duty in it. I almost declined because of the extra work and responsibility. I accepted because I think I might be in a unique position to have a positive influence and move the needle in the direction of mercy for our community.

Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, this morning, the afternoon, and this evening–all day long–I will have opportunities to do the right thing, love mercy, and walk humbly with you. Help me to do that in ever area of my life. As a husband. As a father. As a sibling. As a son. As a friend. As a boss. Aa an employee. And as a community member. As your child in this community, live through me and envelop my spheres of influence so that when others see me they simply see you.

I pray this under your Holy Authority,

Amen

 
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Posted by on February 4, 2023 in Micah

 

Micah 6:6-8

04 Jan

What can we bring to the Lord? Should we bring him burnt offerings? Should we bow before God Most High with offerings of yearling calves? Should we offer him thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins? No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:6-8

Dear God, to obey is better than to sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22). And you made the sacrifice part even easier with the gift of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. I don’t really have to give up some of my possessions in atonement. I just need to repent.

So what am I supposed to do?

  • Do what is right: This one is obvious. Tell the truth. Be honest in my dealings with others. Do not covet and have other idols. Frankly, this is impossible, but it is certainly a goal worth striving for.
  • Love mercy: Loving mercy means turning loose of what I think I deserve and specifically giving something to someone that they do not deserve. Help. Forgiveness. Compassion. Comfort.
  • Walk humbly with you: I can get awfully cocky and full of myself. I also get to feeling like I can do things on my own. But, without you, my life is a house of cards just waiting to collapse. My foundation is shifting sand. Everything is vapor. With you, however, the house is built on a solid foundation so that, regardless of how the wind blows and the rains come down, there is still peace to be found.

Father, as I head back into work today, help me to do what is right, love mercy, and walk humbly with you. As I interact with my wife and children, help me to do what is right, love mercy, and walk humbly with you. As I interact with friends and coworkers, help me to do what is right, love mercy, and walk humbly with you. As I spend time alone, help me to do what is right, love mercy, and walk humbly with you. As I pray to you, help me to do what is right, love mercy, and walk humbly with you.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 4, 2021 in Micah

 

Micah 6:8

04 Jan

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

Dear God, this sounds simple enough. And yet, when I woke up this morning, I saw an email about someone I know in Fredericksburg who really frustrated me and made me angry last year. As I sit here now, I realize that I have not loved mercy or walked humbly when it comes to him. How many other times do I fail you in this area every day?

There was actually a Steven Curtis Chapman song about this verse about 20 years ago called “The Walk.” It basically said that you can do great things, have power, experience success, etc., but at the end of the day it all comes down to asking yourself if you did right, loved mercy and walked humbly with you.

Father, when it all gets stripped away, help me to simply be left having been doing these three simple things. And help me to forgive this friend. I need to be more compassionate when it comes to him.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 4, 2018 in Micah