Being on the Right Page with God
The past 48 hours have sent life in a new direction for my mother. After spending several hours with her on Thursday during the day, she ended up in the hospital with severe pain on Thursday night. It was found that she had a very rare hernia in her pelvic region, causing a bowel blockage. Debbie and I went to Denver yesterday anticipating a surgery for my mother but she dug in her heel and refused to “be cut on.” After some lengthy conversation with the surgeon and among my siblings we “got on the same page with mom.”
That means she has come to our house in Fort Collins and has been admitted into hospice care. We will take coming days, one at a time and see what the future holds. She has talked about her desire to be in heaven and at this points this turn in her physical health status may be that ticket. (picture: leaving hospital with Debbie and niece Kate Martin)
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY….. “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8 ESV
I recall a saying that goes, “If we can miss the point, we certainly will!” I believe that saying applies to understanding what God requires and what people, even God’s people, believe He requires. Perhaps it not so much a “requirement” but understanding God’s priorities, God’s desires.
Micah 6:8 is a verse known by many. It speaks to God’s desire for His people to “do” justice to “love” kindness and to “walk” humbly with God. These priorities speak to our actions, our values and how we live. The contrast to these can be seen in the verses that precede this one.
“With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” (Micah 6:6,7 ESV)
These verses show the human perspective of what would please the Lord. Each posit grows more dramatic from prized year-old calves to a firstborn child. (What is of interest is that some Canaanite gods were worshiped with child sacrifice.) With each of these questions comes a sense that God can’t be pleased; that what pleases Him and how to worship Him is either impractical or extreme. Such was the case with the false gods that the people endeared themselves to. The problem was they confused what the Lord God was like opposed to the human gods.
The response to the questions comes with the initial words, “I have told you…” The Lord God has not hidden Himself and His desires and His priorities. It is His people that were not paying attention. As I read these verses, it strikes me like God is saying, “let’s go over it once again!” Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with your God. We make it hard, God makes is clear and simple. At least simple to understand, perhaps challenging for us to do. It is a challenge because justice, mercy and humility can run contrary to our fallen human nature.
But as I read and re-read the Bible, especially the Old Testament, I come to a greater appreciation of the Lord’s mercy, patience and loving kindness. Not only that, but He promises that if we “yoke” with Him, we find that His “burden” is light. (Matthew 11:30)
Our challenge is to stay on the same page with God. When we do that and focus on not only His priorities, but His strength to fulfill them, we stay on the right path.
Prayer for today…. Lord, we can make it complicated, You make it simple. Following You, doing life with You is much easier, than doing life for You. Keep us from our own ideas and enable us to focus on what Your Word instructs and reminds.