If his love is as high as the sky and beyond
and his wisdom deeper than the sea,
why am I so hesitant to trust him?
It has to be that I don’t get it.
I cannot wrap my mind around infinity.
Since his love goes on forever, with no end,
always strong, rooted in his greatness,
I know he’ll always welcome me,
faulty and weak as I am.
I can sit by him, forgiven, and pour out my heart.
The biggest challenge for me is this:
If I am to be like him—act justly, love like he does—
what will it take to transform me to that level?
I know it’s only possible since he lives in me.
His Spirit is my strength, my guide, my hope.
Teach me, Lord, to love your love, and live it!
The Scripture verse that incited this poem is Micah 6:8:
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. (Mic. 6:8 NIV)
This is a requirement that dates back centuries, and we humans who know about it have been constantly struggling to fulfill it. Justice, mercy and humility sound fine until you try to apply them yourself in each situation, or even when you try to react appropriately to headline news. And how should they be acted out when Jesus’ followers are supposed to love like he does (cf John 15:12)?
How do justice and mercy work together? If someone has done wrong shouldn’t they pay for it, even be kicked out? These questions require thoughtful answers. What kind of wrong is unforgivable? One of those questionable instances that is being brought up by those concerned with immigration is the “crime” of missing an appointment, or of being brought into this country as a child or birthed here. What is true justice, executed with mercy, in such a case? Or perhaps a friend insults you in a way that is truly out of line. Should they be pushed out of your life, or should you show mercy and work for reconciliation?
When we are unjust and unmerciful, we are touting our own right to judge without reference to our Lord’s standards. We are not at all walking “humbly with our God”! Instead we are relying on ourselves rather than even asking his advice. This self-reliant pride succumbs to the voices around us instead of taking God’s Word seriously, asking him for the wisdom and mercy that we desperately need:
6 Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. 8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isa. 55:6-9 NIV)
So, since he knows what is right and we do not, our one hope of figuring out how we should act is to go to him for guidance, and ask him how to apply justice, mercy and humility in each case before us. Only by turning to him can we expect to live this out, taking his requirements seriously and learning what they mean.
I am constantly amazed at the way the Old Testament documents the multiple times that God’s chosen people turned their backs on him. They thought that they had more wisdom than he has, that they could have more power by acting on their own or devoting themselves to “other gods” who seemed to do magical things for their neighbors. Did God turn away? He did judge them. Often it meant turning them over to their enemies, even exile. But he kept on calling them back, waiting with love for them to recognize their foolish sin and return to him. The prophet Micah also wrote:
Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. 19 You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. 20 You will be faithful to Jacob, and show love to Abraham, as you pledged on oath to our ancestors in days long ago. (Mic. 7:18-20 NIV)
Micah was listening to God and had great faith in him. His world was in chaos and he was well aware of the evil all around. But he urged his people to listen to their God and repent of their willful sins, knowing that the God of love would forgive.
God never changes. He is still our source of wisdom and loving forgiveness when we walk humbly with him. Jesus assured his disciples that those who love him will obey him, and that his Spirit would teach them and empower them. His Spirit is given to those of us who are his disciples in this day and age as well. Let us listen to him and obey what God says—let’s act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God!
23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. 25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (Jn. 14:23-26 NIV)
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