Micah, the Old Testament prophet, states;
“He has shown you O man what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?”
Provided here is the three point play of a successful walk, which starts with…
Justice
God is the God of the oppressed; he is the refuge for the poor (Ps. 14:6, Is. 25:4). As such he hears them (Ex. 22:27; Ps. 34:6), provides for them (Ps. 68:10; 82:3; 102:17; Is. 41:17), and secures justice for them (Ps. 140:12). All mankind has been and will be judged correctly and judiciously by the King, Christ (Is. 11:4). God has always had a special heart for the poor, providing such things as gleaning rights (Lev. 19:10), a cloak for security, which was to be returned at night for sleeping (Ex. 22:26-27, Deut. 24:12-13), daily payment of wages (Deut. 24:14-15), requiring an annual tithe be taken for the care of the poor (Deut. 14:29), along with many other provisions of scripture. Thus, the poor deserved impartial judgment and appropriate consideration, respect and care.
Justice is defined as … being just, the rendering of what is due or merited, and conformity to the law of God … an attribute of God. A second view is that by which we measure right and wrong; a verdict, or sentence. The Bible word comes from a root Hebrew word Mish Paw, meaning an open gate. Justice is a key biblical concept, strongly related to righteousness.
Kindness or Mercy
Kindness, or Mercy is defined as kind and compassionate treatment of an offender, adversary or prisoner in one’s power; to be kind, forgiving, or helpful. It comes from a root Hebrew word “Khe Sed”, meaning beauty, mercy, kindness, a good deed and pity. In context, mercy assumes one has resources to meet a legitimate need, and takes the appropriate action to alleviate the problem or situation, often of injustice. If one does not have the means to help, he or she cannot be held accountable to act in mercy, for mercy is not a feeling, but an action from one able to help by God’s grace from their resources. As with justice and righteousness, mercy and peace are linked, which will be discussed below. Mercy is seen in scripture …
- Like a father, demonstrating compassionate care for one of his own (Ps 103: 13). Biblically, since mercy is not natural to us, it…
- Must be practiced (Col. 3:12), with recognition that …
- You get what you give (Mt. 5:7), for …
- Judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment” (Ja. 2:13), thus mercy should be a…
- Focus of Prayer, for our selves and others, the saved and the lost alike (He. 4:16).
Humility
Humility is defined as being free from pride of vanity; modest. It is characterized by a person lowly in station, unpretentious, respectful (tsuna). This requires …
An honest self appraisal, one that is realistic and accurate. God has created us with various gifts and abilities that we should rejoice in, as they are gifts from the Lord for the benefit of others. But scripture reminds us …
- Before honor comes humility (Pr. 15:33), for God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6)
- Peter states that we are to be clothed in humility, that is, we put it on as a part of our approach to the world (1Pe. 5:5,6), recognizing that
- Christ is our example (Phil 2: 5-13), and we are to follow Him.
Thus, we are to do justice, not just talk about it; love mercy, and demonstrate a heart of mercy with those in need, and live a life of humility, or as stated so eloquently by Paul the Apostle, we are to live as full members of Christ Kingdom now, characterized as Righteousness, Peace and Joy…all made available in the Holy Spirit!!
What does God Want? Walk the walk, not just talk the talk, and to live life as overcomers, with a heart of love.