Act Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly: A 7-Day Devotional by Pat BarrettSample

DAY 3: OUR WHOLE LIFE 

With what shall I come before the Lord

 and bow down before the exalted God?

Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,

   with calves a year old?

Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,

   with ten thousand rivers of olive oil

Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,

   the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? Micah 6:6-7

Humanity has been asking the same questions for a long time. Different words maybe, but the same question. 

What pleases God?

Books and books of worship songs? (Burnt offerings)

Mountains of tithe money? (Rivers of olive oil)

23 hours a day in deep prayer?

What is it?

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (NIV) Micah 6:8

According to the book of Micah, faith touches every area of our existence. Our actions, what we love, and how we go through life are the signs that we are living in communion with God. Our tendency to compartmentalize our lives will not work. If our thinking is He only cares about one sliver of our lives, that isn’t helpful. 

Does He care about our behaviors? Yes.

Does He care about our hearts? Yes.

Does He care about the “way” we walk through life? Yes.

Does He like all of this more than all of the religious rituals we have grown accustomed to? Yes.