Has that sentence ever exited your mouth? I’ll bet it has. I know it has mine. It is a good question.
I was reading in Micah this morning. We hear from this prophet about the righteous judgment of God against his people; but we also hear of the Shepherd-King, who will gather, forgive, and protect his people. In this context, Micah speaks words found in the mouths of the people, maybe your mouth:
Mic. 6.6 What can we bring to the LORD?
What kind of offerings should we give him?
Should we bow before God
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?
Rhetorical questions, all with the answer, “No!”
Then what does he want? He has told you. Here are the words of life, here is what he requires:
8 He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the LORD require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
So, your response may be, “Oh, is that all?! Just to do justice and love kindness and walk humbly. Do you know who I am? That is not a simple task.”
But the news gets better, for he does know you. That is why he gives us a glorious helper in this walk.
Mic. 5.4 And [Jesus] shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD,
in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.
And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth.
5 And he shall be their peace…
Delight in the clarity of what God requires today, and in the hope that you have a majestic Shepherd, always with you, assisting you in the joy of obedience.
Looking to the Good Shepherd with you,
Pastor Matthew
Growing In Grace 