Act Justly Love Faithfulness & Walk Humbly | Short Sermon Series

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8

Micah 6:8 is a popular and often quoted verse, so let us dive into the context of the verse to understand its meaning a little better!

In the beginning, we see God makes a case against Israel the same way one would in court. He asks Israel, “What have I done to you? How have I burdened you?” (v3). Though God had faithfully led the Israelites out of Egypt and brought them to the Promised Land, they were still prone to forgetting their God, and swayed by earthly idols. God questions why Israel has disobeyed and turned from Him after He has been nothing but merciful and gracious.

After hearing God’s charge against them, the Israelites respond by asking how they can atone for their sin. Essentially asking God how many burnt offerings He would like – A thousand rams? Or ten thousand rivers of olive oil? (v6-7). And that’s when Micah responds with his famous verse, reminding them that God had already shown what pleases Him, and it definitely wasn’t empty religious rituals or sacrifices.

God wasn’t looking at their offerings – continually giving God sacrifices to atone for their sins was not the point! God was more concerned for their hearts, and the Israelites desperately needed a change of heart. As only with changed hearts would they stop taking their sins so lightly and start living rightly.

What the Lord required of the Israelites thousands of years ago is what He still requires of us today. Not sacrifices or burnt offerings, but a changed heart. A heart that gives rise to a conscious and daily decision to walk in the ways of God. To treat others justly, to love others so deeply that your first instinct is to always show mercy, and most important of all, to walk humbly, in step with God.

Knowing this, let us strive to live out Micah 6:8 each day, moving away from conducting religious rituals blindly, to paying more attention to our intentions and the conditions of our hearts.

May this design by @ohkatiepie help serve as your reminder! Available in stores and online now!