Micah 6

Scripture  Micah 6:8 

He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God? Observation-What does it say?  The book of Micah was written in the 8th century before the birth of Jesus.  Micah was from a small town in Judah, near the Philistine border.  He prophesied of the fall of Israel’s capitals, Jerusalem and Samaria, and of the eventual fall of Judah.  Micah prophesied during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.  Israel and Judah had fallen into some prosperity during this time, and the comfort that accompanied this prosperity made way for corruption of the character of the nation  The nation of Israel had fallen into sin, so had the kingdom of Judah, and this was displeasing to God.  Throughout the book, Micah tells of the judgement and deliverance by God.  Both Micah and Amos, one of Micah’s contemporaries, showed deep concern for social justice among the people of Israel. Understanding-What does it mean?  Jen (my wife) always reminds me that “actions speak louder than words.”  She usually says this when we are having some kind of argument about something I did.  Luckily for me, she fell in love with me for this same reason.  Just about every relationship has that time where things are a little up in the air on whether it’s the real thing, whether or not the couple are “meant to be.”  When Jen and I were in that time, I did a few things that really showed her who I was and that my actions lined up with my words.  On one day, I showed her I was both handy and domestic.  I changed her oil and cooked her dinner, things that I had been doing for myself for years.  But, it was that they were done for her with no expectation of a return that spoke to her.   Another time, we had planned on going to her friend’s wedding on a Friday in Las Vegas at 6 pm.  Except I couldn’t get off work in Los Angeles until noon that day.  I swore to her I would make it, but she had her doubts.  As I was changing in the parking lot of the hotel at 5 pm, I got a call from her to find out where I was.  When I informed her I was waiting for her, she became ecstatic and told me she wouldn’t be there for another 45 minutes.  That day she found out I was good about coming through with what I say, and I found out that I would always be waiting for her to get ready.  But, she’s worth it I guess. Similarly, God thinks our actions speak louder than words.  Throughout scripture we are encouraged and told that love is an action word.  Jesus tells us that all of the commandments are summed up by loving God and loving others.  To the Philippians, Paul wrote, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”  Jesus also told his followers, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)  Jesus showed us the ultimate example of actions speaking louder than words.  He gave his life for us, even while we were still sinners.
Life Application 

 

Jesus, help me to find tangible ways to share your love with others.  Whether that be in a shared cup of coffee, an afternoon spent helping someone move, or a donation to a family in need or homeless shelter, your love can be at the center of it all.  Give me grace to give, even when it hurts.   

 

-Tyler Galloway