Walk Humbly

Micah 6:8 says, “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?” This verse is both the heart of God for His children and His expectation of them. Here is the essence of our relationship to the triune God.

We cannot “do justly” without first asking for the wisdom of the Spirit of God; we cannot “love mercy” without receiving the love of Christ and His life laid down for us; and we cannot “walk humbly” without the awe of reverence for the Father who ordained all things before the foundation of the world and before whom we must stand and be accountable.

This verse makes it abundantly clear that He desires an intimate relationship with us, because without being in His presence, without receiving His gifts, instruction and divine nature, and without accepting our legal place in His family through the blood of Christ, we cannot offer justice, mercy and humility to the world around us.

His kingdom must come to bear in my heart before I will be able see it come to bear in the world. That is not to say my response to Him is necessary for His work in the earth to be accomplished, but my right response to Him is assuredly a pre-requisite to my entering into His happiness and experiencing His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

In these tumultuous times when unrighteousness and all manner of injustices seem to be gaining the upper hand, it is incumbent upon me as a child of God to first examine my heart and repent of injustice, self-interest, and faithlessness. Then, in that place of prayer where I have received forgiveness I did not deserve, to petition heaven for the healing of our land and the peace of His Kingdom authority to rule the hearts of men.

“If my people, who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV) This is not a new saying, and certainly at this time on the Kingdom calendar, many believers are passionately pleading for the people of God to do the one and most important thing they can: Pray.

It is my prayer for us that we seek the face of God and ask Him to search our hearts, to cleanse us of all unrighteousness, and to cause His love to be poured out in our hearts so that we live lives that offer water to the parched, food to the hungry, mercy to the offensive and refuge to the frightened. As it says in Isaiah 61:3-4, “That they [we] may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. And they [we] shall rebuild the old ruins, they [we] shall raise up the former desolations, and they [we] shall repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations.” May it be so, in Jesus’ name, amen.

Dear ones, we are unified in our very personal, very individual need of Him. When we are clean before Him, when we are free of guilt through the precious blood of Christ, we stand shoulder to shoulder, working together and praying together with the heart of the Father and the mind of Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit to advance the Kingdom of God.

“Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,  and having a High Priest over the house of God,  let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.  And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,  not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:19-25 NKJV)

Until next week, fellow so-journers, let us be about the Father’s business, submitted to King Jesus, and empowered by His Spirit to do justly, love mercy and walk humbly.