by Rebekah Harvey

Just as earthly parents have hopes and expectations for their children, the Lord wants to see certain things taking place in the lives of His children. In Micah 6:8 we see requirements that are made of His people. It says, “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?” This is strong language, it is a requirement not a request. As parents there are things that we request of our children and also things that are required. Usually a request is not as serious or consequential.

To do justly, means honest, conforming to a standard of correctness, and faithful to the original design. God’s Word provides this for us, and teaches us how to incorporate justness into our lives. Proverbs 21:3 “To do righteousness and justice Is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.”

To love mercy means forgiving, compassionate, withholding of the punishment or judgment our sins deserve. When we receive Jesus He extends to us the ultimate mercy, He exchanged His righteousness for our sins and paid our penalty for them. Lamentations 3:22 “Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.”

To walk humbly means to not think too highly of oneself, to bring low or prostate, can imply lower social or economic status, meek, and gentle. To walk in humility requires a conscious choice, it is not something that comes natural. Colossians 3:12 “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.”

When our children do the things we teach them it puts a smile on our face. As believers in Jesus let’s put a smile on the face of our heavenly father by choosing to do the things that He requires of us, doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with Him.

Deuteronomy 10:12 “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 “and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I command you today for your good?”