HE HAS SHOWN US WHAT IS GOOD

HE HAS SHOWN US WHAT IS GOOD

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

            Are you just- right and fair?  “Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis 18:25).  Of course He will and He desires us to be like Him and do right as well.  Indeed this is what the Lord requires of those who follow Him.  Not only are we “to act justly” but this also includes loving mercy— “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. (Micah 7:18).  “You will be faithful to Jacob, and show love to Abraham, as you pledged on oath to our ancestors in days long ago” (Micah 7:20).  Mercy is forgiving and loving.  Does that describe you and me?  Do we walk humbly before God or are we prideful?  The humble rejoices in how the Lord has lifted him from the muck and mire of sin.  The prideful believe they deserve His mercy and look down on others.  They have a self-righteous attitude toward others and they they alone have something others do not.  None of us deserve anything from the Lord… it is all because of His mercy and grace toward us that He does anything to us or for us.

            A great example of this is the Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37.  Jesus told this parable to “an expert in the law” that came “to test Jesus.”  The man was trying to “justify himself.”  After Jesus told the parable He asked, “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”  The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”  Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

            Showing mercy is an action.  Again, Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”  Showing mercy is not just talking about it.  It is not just studying about it.  No, it is doing it.  So the question I have to ask myself is— “How and where am I showing mercy to others?”  Another question I could ask myself is— “Where am I not showing mercy where I should be showing mercy?”  Hmmm… how about you? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osfQg4yKtq8

Dear Father, may I look to how You have shown mercy to me and extend that to others.  May this be so in the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Jesus.  May it be so!