God's Requirements

GOD'S REQUIREMENTS

Micah 6:8 - "What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God."

Micah was a man of the people, and a true patriot. In his day, the political outlook was dark in the extreme, and the prophet felt that one thing only could save his country, and that was a deep and widespread revival of religion. To the inquiry of the people as to whether Jehovah desired the sacrifice of animals, or little children, who were immolated by the heathen people around in order to rid their consciences from sin, the answer came that God required something more spiritual and searching: "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good, etc."

Let us make this threefold message our own:

1. TO DO JUSTLY, giving not a fraction less than can be rightly claimed from us. Every one of us must acknowledge the righteous claims of our home-circle, and of our neighbors, and we must adjust these claims, giving each his due.
2. LET US LOVE MERCY. There are some who have perhaps forfeited all claim on our mercy--the prisoner, the fallen, the helpless, our enemies. We must help all these not grudgingly, but cheerfully and willingly. Do not try to love mercy till you begin to show it. Dare to step out into a life of unselfish beneficence, and as you do so, you will come to love it. St. James insists that pure religion as much consists in visiting the widow and fatherless in their affliction as in keeping oneself unspotted from the world.
3.  LET US WALK HUMBLY WITH GOD, not lagging behind, nor running before, but walking with Him, hand in hand. All down the ages, from Enoch onward, there have been those who walked with God in unstained robes. It is not in sacrifices, or rites, or church-going, or almsgiving, though these will follow afterwards, but in holy and humble living, that the heart of true religion is realized.

Is that all? No! What is to be done for those who have tried and failed, who are conscious of guilt and sin? In the closing verses of this book is the answer. There we learn that God will not only forgive, but will subdue our iniquities. He will turn again and have compassion upon us, and cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. He delighteth in mercy! cause His name is also Mercy?

My friends, this is our plea, "O Lord, may Thy all-powerful grace make us as perfect as Thou hast commanded us to be."