Reading: Micah 6; Romans 12:1-3
What does the LORD require of you but to do justice and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. They are all three expressions of one attitude. It is not just what you do. It is not the sacrifices that you bring. Even if you gave the best that you could give, even if you gave all your possessions, then still it would not be pleasing to God, if there was not an attitude of thankfulness and love.
To love mercy. The word speaks about something we do with our heart. To do justice, that is something we do. We keep God’s commandments.
To love mercy means something like: have a positive attitude, a charitable attitude. It is our nature to be negative, to criticize the other, to say nasty things about the other. Or at least, if you don’t say them, then you think it. We also see so often in discussions that we explain someone’s words in a negative way. Often we don’t read or listen with a charitable attitude, but with an attitude to find fault with the other and to say: See, I told you, you can’t trust him. Or we even think that about God: God, I did so much for You, why don’t You help me? Or: God, this is not fair! Why do You let this happen to me? It is all out of an attitude of criticizing whatever does not go according to your own desires. If God does not satisfy your desires, then He is not good.
Within the covenant, the situation is completely different. We can’t come with our conditions to God. No. Remember what we were before we were called by God. Remember what God did for us. How He gave His One and Only Son to deliver us from eternal misery and death.
The situation in this world would be much, much worse if God did not come to us in His grace and showed His love to us. The misery in this world would be unimaginable if God did not uphold this creation in His providence, for the sake of those whom He loves, His children.
God requires of you, now that He not only redeemed you, but even made His covenant with you, that you are fully dedicated to Him. That you give up your negative and critical attitude and that you love Him with your whole heart and soul and mind, and completely give yourself to Him! Trust that His will is good. What He does in my life, is good and I will glorify Him. Always. Whatever happens.
It is His will that you live with Him in the covenant. He works in you, so that you are able to live with Him in the covenant. So that you are able to live with Him in that relationship of love. Your heart filled with love for God, totally dedicated to the LORD, your God.
Sacrifice to Him your heart, promptly and sincerely. ‘I offer my heart to You, O Lord, promptly and sincerely.’ That is the motto of the John Calvin Schools in our area. Very fitting.
Offer your heart, and your entire life. Not just your money and your time. Not just part of your energy. But your heart. And with that your entire life. As a sacrifice of thankfulness. Full of love. Fully dedicated to Him.
And then you will also walk humbly with Him, your God.