Living as One Who Pleases God

"He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8)

I really question seriously today how much the average person thinks about or even cares about what truly pleases God, beloved. In fact, I am convinced that most who do think about it at all feel confident that they not only know, but are already doing it! The prophet Micah reminded the people of Judah about the conversation out of their own history between Balak, king of Moab, and Balaam, a "mercenary" prophet from Mesopotamia hired by the king to pronounce a curse on the Hebrew people. Balak had his own idea of ways he could please God and in these words we hear Israel asking of God the same thing.

"With what shall I come to the Lord and bow myself down before the Lord on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, with yearling calves? Does the Lord take delight in thousands of rams, in ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my first-born for my rebellious acts, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" (Micah 6:6-7)

It is just like man today to think that there is something that we can do to earn God's favor! Yet Micah has recorded for us what has come to be known as "the greatest saying of the Old Testament." It is the voice of God Himself reminding forgetful man that He wants from us what He has always wanted from us...nothing more, nothing less.

Note, then, in the prophet's words the first requirement for pleasing God, that we "do justice." The Hebrew word refers clearly to acting justly in every situation of life. I prefer what former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee calls "doing the right thing." And the "right" or just thing to do is always whatever the standard of God says is right or just! Think about what a tremendous impact could be made upon life in the U.S. if everyone started doing the right thing. Think about it in terms of protecting the unborn, of lowering the crime rate, of guarding the sanctity of marriage as defined by God, of educating children, of ministering to the poor and needy. I cannot think of a single area of human life that would not be affected if everyone would just determine to "do justice" and, thus, glorify God.

Next Micah mentioned the requirement from God that we "love kindness." The Hebrew word strongly implies the quality of mercy. Mercy is a difficult trait for us, even as Christians, to demonstrate, beloved. We are prone as human beings to look at the worst in others and then to quietly and piously thank God that we are not like that! If we would please God, we must not only love kindness or mercy in others, we must practice it ourselves...every day, all day long. Imagine the impact we would have upon society in our personal relationships alone were we to be merciful instead of judgmental, forgiving instead of going after our "pound of flesh," restorative instead of punitive.

Finally, Micah said that the third requirement of God is that we "walk humbly" with Him. The secret to true humility lies in seeing oneself as ever in need of God's grace. Clearly, then, the key to both "doing what is right" and "loving and practicing mercy" is to first see the need in our own lives! As long as I remain aware that I am but a sinner saved by God's grace, beloved, I will be able to do what is right and practice mercy toward others. These will only be possible because I have learned to walk humbly before God, aware of the work of His grace in my life.

Would you live a life that is truly pleasing to God, then? Here are the requirements: do what is right according to God's Word, love and practice mercy toward others, and walk in humility as you are aware of your need for God's grace. What a world this would be if we could only stop offering God substitutes for what He truly wants and just live as He here asks us to live!

Ron