“He has told you, O man. What is good; and what the Lord requires of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (v.8)
There is something within us that longs for justice for others and for ourselves. But there is only one aspect of justice that is fully within our control, and that is our behavior toward others.
To a people who hurt the Lord deeply by their selfishness and unjust treatment of others, the prophet Micah said, "He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what the Lord requires of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" (v.8).
What does the Lord long for from us? He wants action ("do justly"), affection ("love mercy"), and association ("walk humbly with your God") As Christians, instead of demanding "Let right be done to me," may our rallying cry become "Let right be done by me." Great things can happen when we say, "In my family, in my community, in my church, in my workplace, in every relationship, let right be done by me!"
God wants us to be just in the way we treat others, to be kind toward them, and to “walk humbly with Him,” which is to say: TRUST in Him, love Him, and prefer His will over our own.
Here in our text, Micah reduces the six hundred and thirteen rabbinical commandments to just three; do justly, love mercy and walk humbly. Our Lord later reduces them down to just two; Love God and love your neighbor. May I suggest focusing on the first and greatest commandment “Love the LORD your God with all your heart,” then everything else will fall in line.
The Truth: “You shall love the Lord your God will all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment, and the second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 23:37-38).
