Micah 6:8 “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?”
The demands of life at times can seem overwhelming and the expectations that are placed on people only seem to grow as they acquire greater levels of responsibility.
Whatever your work may entail, everything you do affects others in some way. All that you say and the way you live will have a direct effect on someone else’s life. What legacy do you want to leave?
Many years ago I was first struck by the reality of how our actions can affect our consequences. A young college student was driving home from school on Interstate 5 in Oregon when by exhaustion he fell asleep at the wheel, as his car slowly drifted off the roadway it just so happened that a police officer had pulled a car over for speeding in that section of the freeway. The young man struck the police officer with his car and killed him. The young man survived the accident only to be tried and convicted of involuntary manslaughter. The expectation for motorists is that if you are incapable of safely operating a motor vehicle, you should not be doing so. We often hear of the pitfalls of drinking alcohol but driving while tired can be just as detrimental.
That young man might not have known that his inability to stay awake while driving would have such a far reaching consequence. For both the young man and the officers family, the effects of that fateful day have carried with them for life.
Just as there are expectations placed on us in society, God has placed expectations on us spiritually as well.
Spiritual Expectations
Deuteronomy 30:15 “See, I have set before you today life and goodness, as well as death and disaster.”
The children of Israel had the opportunity to either find blessing in trusting the Lord in walking faithfully or disaster by going their own way—the Lord gave them the opportunity to choose.
People have the opportunity to follow the Lord in life or they can follow false doctrine and go their own way. There is no shortage of deceivers available who would be happy to lead people astray.
Elements of hinduism are found in people who believe in the principles of karma. For those who think that meditation is co-equal in every form, buddhism will gladly lead you into a place that has no meaning or end.
The Word of God stands alone in demonstrating how we should live, any other practice represents false doctrine.
What is your expectation of God?
Do you live knowing your actions have purpose or do you walk through life, exhausted and without a care while hoping for the best? There are consequences in how you live life just as there are consequences for how you live before God.
Deuteronomy 30:1-3 “Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God drives you, and you return to the Lord your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, that the Lord your God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the Lord your God has scattered you.”
It’s easy to think of the Israelites as unique and separate from us today but the same principles that applied to Israel came from the same God who rules today. We may think times have changed and expectations are different….but the reality is they haven’t.
People are people regardless of when they lived or what culture they are from–God remains the same. God’s standard of holiness is just as important now as it was 4000 years ago.
Cultural Divides
Regardless of the culture, language, or country we live in, we all have the same concerns and challenges that life presents.
We can look back in the Bible and see how people had the same dilemma of trusting God and wrestling with sin as people do today. God’s blessings and curses were reflective of Israel’s relationship to Him as a nation and likewise individually. Today, we can see God’s blessing on a nation that honors Him and we can read His Word and see how He relates His Truth individually as well.
God’s Pattern for Holiness
As I dwell on the words of the prophet Micah, I see the brush strokes of God on His Creation. The same principles God established then apply today.
Micah 6:8 “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?”
- To do justly is to walk in righteousness. Defined as living according to God’s divine or moral law, righteousness becomes the guide by which we show love back to God.
- Mercy is ultimately showing love to others. When someone deserves wrath but receives love instead, the offended are living by the example of their heavenly Father.
- Walking in humility is necessary for receiving God’s guidance and correction. We can’t grow or listen to God’s instruction if our hearts are full of pride.
The Lord has shown us the way, He has laid out the path that all are called to follow, the question is whether we will be obedient to His call.
God’s way leads to life…the world’s way leads to death.
It seems obvious but when the darkness of the world tries to hinder the path of life, the flesh suffers in confusion and the struggle remains constant for all who look to the world for hope.
If you follow Christ, your not alone in the journey. Everyone needs encouragement and strength for the battle. Regardless of which culture you live in or your status, all believers are fighting the same fight and yet the path of holiness will lead them in peace. The Lord has amply supplied His people with the necessary tools to complete the task at hand, they only need to utilize what He has given them.
Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might and you will walk in victory.
U.T. 