Image: "Brilliance", 2020, Butterfly Bush, Severna Park, Md.
Micah 6:3 “O My people, what have I done to you? And how have I wearied you? Testify against Me.
Micah 6:7–8 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, Ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
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?
Micah 6:15 “You shall sow, but not reap; You shall tread the olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil; And make sweet wine, but not drink wine.
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When a difficult situation confronts us that requires some kind of judgment or decision, we often find ourselves crying out: "I don't know what to do!" In these circumstances, we can be sure of one thing: sin is "lying at the door" (Gen. 4:7) in some way. It is a plain fact - sin complicates things, righteousness simplifies things. So the more confusing or complex the issue, the more we can be sure that sin is mixed up in it either as a cause or as a temptation.
Now I know, as well as anyone, that most of us as Christians, want to do the "right thing." The problem we face is knowing what that "right thing to do" is. In my experience, the greatest hindrance to identifying that "right thing to do" is that we try to base our decision on what "might happen" if a decision is made one way or the other. This is the root of the problem. When we undertake to make decisions based on working for some "favorable" or "less evil" end result, we face two huge hurdles.
1 - We cannot predict how things will turn out! Not in an absolute sense ever, and only in a probable sense at best. The Lord spoke of this when he told of a rich man who decided to retire and use his hoarded-up wealth to live pleasurably for the rest of his life. God was blunt: "You fool, this very night your soul will be required of you." (Luke 12:20) We live on a thin spider web of the Lord's providence. He and He alone determines the outcome of any decision we make so it is foolish to ground our decision-making on possible outcomes.
2 - Scripture clearly teaches us that sometimes the "right" decision will bring very "negative" consequences, at least in the short-term. God's saints have often had to stand by their profession of faith even when it meant persecution, torture, and/or death. Choosing to "do the right thing" and laying down your life for your buddy in the foxhole means... you die! Doing what is right can often bring short-term negative consequences. That, alone, cannot be our primary ground for choosing "what is the right thing to do."
Here is where God speaks to us through Micah and says: "It's really quite simple- do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God!" You might be saying about now that, "that doesn't really help! This means I have to judge what is the 'just' thing to do and that puts me right back at the beginning."
Well, no, I don't think so. It does pose problems for those folks who are not used to thinking in terms of God's Word. There are some occasions when it will seem like Scripture has more than one teaching that bears on a situation. I admit that sometimes it does require some diligent meditation on God's Word or seeking counsel, to see how we should understand things. The main point is that even here, it is a far more simple situation than before. We know, for example, that our pathway forward is to try to bring God's word to bear... we know what the next step requires.
However, in my many years counseling people through crisis situations, it has been my experience that discovering what is the "just" thing to do is usually not that difficult. It's just those doggone possible outcomes that make people hesitant to act on it.
Right here is where the above statement that "sin is lying at the door" comes into play. When we know what is the just thing to do and we do not want to do it or stubbornly refuse to do so, then we are now in rebellion. Quite frankly, we now have a bigger problem than whatever it is that we are facing.
So we need to listen to the rest of what God says: "love mercy and walk humbly with your God." LIfe and life's decisions become much more simple when they are faced from within a lifestyle of "loving mercy and walking humbly." We become conditioned, if you will, to the "good life" for that is what it really is. "Loving mercy" is a trait we exhibit when we have embraced the mercy God has shown us in Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ of God, and have then responded to that mercy by consciously endeavoring to show mercy to others. We live lives conditioned by mercy. That's a good thing... it is a simple thing... and it adds immeasurable delight.
Also, life is simplified when we walk humbly with our God. When we get used to recognizing Him in the ordinary fabric of our lives and rejoicing in the fact that He is with us, then we are humbled by that reality. It also conditions us through myriads of small choices to always be seeking to align ourselves with His will. So... when push comes to shove and something big comes our way, then understanding what is "just and right" in the situation is much easier to discern, AND, we are quite content to do what is right and let God be in charge of how it turns out.
At every point, we discover that the just way is best. It really is just that simple.
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