We all strive to live lives pleasing to the Lord. As believers, we seek to honor His commandments and fulfill the obligations He has set out for us. In Micah 6:1-8, God speaks about the righteousness He desires from us; he outlines what He expects from our lives.
In verse 1, God asks, “Hear now what the LORD says…” This phrase serves as God’s call for us to pay attention and take heed to His words. We are asked not only to listen carefully but also to act upon them in obedience.
Verse 2 continues by asking “Shall I come before Him with burnt offering?” By this question, God is showing that material possessions do not satisfy Him; they do not bring Him true joy or pleasure. Instead, He desires our hearts and actions – it is the right-standing with Him that matters most.
God goes on to reveal His perfect plan for us in verse 3, saying “He has showed you o man what is good; And what does the LORD require of you but do justly, and love mercy and walk humbly with your God?” This call explains that by doing justice (against injustice), loving mercy (for ourselves and others) and walking humbly with Him (being aware of His presence), we will be honoring God with our lives.
In verse 4, God speaks about how closely He watches our ways when He asks “Wherewith shall I come before the LORD?” This line reveals that nothing escapes his sight – everything we say or do is seen by Him. As a result, it is important that we strive to please Him in all our ways so as not risk offending him in any way.
The following verses further emphasize this point by recounting various offerings people have made while seeking favors from God – such as thousands of rams or rivers of oil – only for the Lord to respond emphatically each time saying these are not sufficient enough to earn His favor or blessings. In fact, all He needs from us is simply an obedient heart (verse 8). To summarize then: what does the Lord require of us? To simply obey him through justice, mercy and humility – these are His basic foundations for living a life pleasingly devoted unto him!
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