Walking Humbly

Micah 6:8 - 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? 

When these words came in my mailbox the other day I could just hear the voice of Pastor Bob Ona as he spoke them the very day I came to Christ! Nothing magical about those words, but powerful...especially to walk humbly with our God.

He has shown you...Jesus has shown us by His example. He is the Word made flesh. He is the Word, the Way, the Truth, the Life. No one comes to the Father but by Him. God is not a liar; there is no unrighteousness within Him and He cannot be in the presence of sin. His ways are good and just. He has shown us the standard through His Commandments.

What does the Lord require of us? To be just, to love mercy...and walk humbly with Him. Pastor Rory Grooters spoke one Sunday about humility. He spoke about King Uzziah who walked closely with the LORD during his 52 years as being king of Jerusalem. He walked humbly because he had been raised with this knowledge. He became king at 16. Imagine, 16!

Uzziah was successful throughout the 52 years because he sought God. How things can change. Why it took 52 years I don't know. But somewhere along the way Uzziah stopped walking humbly with his God. His pride got the better of him and this displeased God...to the point of placing leprosy upon him, removing him from his duties and living the rest of his life in shame.

We are to fear God. We are to honor Him. We are to praise Him. We are to walk humbly with Him. Did you notice that...with Him. We can do this if we have a mind to receive Him and allow Him to transform our lives...not that we are puppets only being manipulated by God, but first knowing Him intimately, then knowing what His promises are for those who choose to follow Him and be obedient to what He knows is best for each of us.

He has shown us...by example. What horrible things did Jesus ever do? Nothing. He spoke gently in love and firmly with words that were (and still are) hard. He loved, taught, healed. He remained silent as people chastised Him. He bore our burdens. He also gathered people as a Good Shepherd would and protected them. He walked the long walk to Golgotha for each of us. He did not complain, but rather did it out of love and mercy for us. 

Truly an amazing example. It is what He requires of us who have chosen the path of righteousness with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Imagine the successfulness of our lives if we adhered to a humble path of mercy and justice. Success comes if we set our minds to doing as Micah suggested.

1Peter 5:6 - Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.