"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?"
Micah 6:8
Have you ever watched someone doing something that should have been fairly simply, yet they made it extremely complicated? It is interesting how we do that. It is almost like we refuse to take the easiest and most direct path. When I was in college, I went with some of my college classmates to Multnomah Falls in Oregon. It is one of the most beautiful sites that I have ever seen. It is the second tallest waterfall in the country dropping almost 620 feet. There are two trails that lead to the top of the waterfall. One is a winding trail that gradually ascends to the overlook. The other trail is for the ambitious hiker/climber. Of course, if you know me, you know which one I chose. One young lady and I chose the ambitious trail, and everybody else decided to walk the winding trail. About halfway up we knew that we had made a mistake. It was one of the hardest things that I have ever done. At some point I was climbing a small portion and then reaching down to pull her up. It took forever. We made something that was easy very hard.
I am not about to tell you that the Christian life is easy, but I will say that God has laid out a plan to follow that is much easier than making our own way. So many are concerned with how to live the Christian life. They are constantly afraid of "doing it wrong". Many talk about God's will assuming that is a place where God will send you or a job that you will work. They are constantly wondering if they are out of the will of God. What they don't understand is that God's will is a daily walk with Him. If we are obedient to the Word and the Holy Spirit, we will be directly in the center of God's will no matter where we may physically be. If you are following His plan and His path, He will guide your steps to the places that He would have you go. This passage of Scripture teaches us what it is that God requires of our lives. "To do justly" is simply the requirement to live righteously before God. Keep your feet from evil. Protect your heart against the wickedness of this world. "To love mercy" is to treat others with loving-kindness. That is why God taught us to love others as He loves us. We do not love people based on what they deserve; we love them especially when they deserve nothing. Finally, we are commanded "to walk humbly with your God." Isn't it amazing that we are given the privilege to walk with God? How could we walk any way but humbly? Day by day we are to wake up and take the first step out of bed in submission to Him. That is why Solomon told his son to acknowledge God in all his ways and He would direct His path. If we determine to live by the principled requirements of God's Word, we will see that the path is clearer, because the Lord has gone before us in preparing it.
May you live according to God's Word today!
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