Perhaps it’s just the musing of a sixty-six-year-old woman, but I look at my days, my moments, my weeks as they fly by and recall that statement I made so long ago: “What am I doing here?” I laugh as I remember coming up the steps of my high school with a friend and saying these words. What does an eighteen-year-old even know about life? LOL
So, we go through life:
- As preschoolers, we don’t even know what twenty-four hours means.
- As elementary school students, we have the concept but not the understanding.
- As teens, time drags, and we do not value it.
- As young adults, we’re too busy to think about it.
- As middle-agers, we shrug it off, bemoaning that retirement is so far away.
- And as older people, we start to wonder where it all went!
- And as older older people, we may wonder how to fill our days.
What is the meaning of life? Are some days, moments, years more meaningful? What does God expect of us? Did Micah get it right, or is it too simplistic?
He has shown you, O man, what [is] good; And what does the LORD require of you
Micah 6:8 (NKJV)
But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?”
That’s great advice, but how is it applied to the nasty now and now? Will these three simple statements really make a difference? Does he know what he’s saying? Does we have reason to believe his message?
First, we must pay heed to what Matthew Henry says:
“What is written in the Bible, and what is preached by the ministers of Christ according to what is written there, must be heard and received, not as the word of dying men, which we may be judges of, but as the word of the living God, which we must be judged by, for so it is.” In other words, don’t worry as much about WHO said it but that it is God’s Word. That said, as we take a look at Micah, we can understand why God chose him to write these words. He prophesied during the reign of three kings of Judah: Jotham (the son of Uriah), Ahaz, and Hezekiah: good king, very bad king, and great king. So, he saw it all. He saw the exceeding wickedness into which an evil ruler can lead his people; and he saw the amazing blessings God promises to bestow on His people when they follow a godly, reforming ruler like Hezekiah.
- Do justly: Always, ALWAYS do the right thing, no matter how big or small. We are so good at making excuses for our sinful deeds, hesitating to even call them sin. “You can choose your sin, but you can’t choose the consequences.” “Do right though the stars fall!” –Bob Jones Sr. Creating the habit of making right choices for you and living that example before others will make all the difference in your life, not just today but for always and forever.
- Love mercy: Ah, this is the ointment that soothes every relationship. We can’t get tired of mercifully loving others—loving mercy so much that we pour it on generously. Remember, mercy is NEVER deserved!
- Walk humbly: This may be the most important attribute of a godly life. In the Hebrew language, humble or humbly is a verb (ṣānaʿ), and is only used twice in the Bible: here in Micah and in Proverbs 11:2″When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble [is] wisdom.” WARNING: RABBIT TRAIL! But look at the way the Amplified Bible reads: Proverbs 11:2 (AMP) When pride comes [boiling up with an arrogant attitude of self-importance], then come dishonor and shame, But with the humble [the teachable who have been chiseled by trial and who have learned to walk humbly with God] there is wisdom and soundness of mind.
After taking a closer look at Micah’s God’s words, I think He’s right. Duh! God is always right. The problems come when we will not rightly apply His Word to our lives. I know that sounds preachy, but can you disagree?
Below are the words and a link to the song, “Shaper of the Dust” by ForeverBeSure. It has become one of my favorites, and reminds us that life IS short and fleeting, but God is faithful to the end, gently, and sometimes not so gently, leading, guiding, loving, teaching, forgiving… there is no end to all our Heavenly Father does for us!
There is only a step between now and forever,
Only a heartbeat away.
There is so little time between living and dying,
So soon till our beauty will fade
So, teach us, teach us, Everlasting One!
Chorus:
Shaper of the dust, You Who pity us,
Come and teach us in Your tenderness
To number off our days, to feel them fly away,
That we would walk in wisdom to the end.
You tell us that we are a vanishing vapor;
We see it and then it is gone.
You say that our life is a lot like a flower
Whose glory won’t last very long.
So, teach us, teach us, Everlasting One!
How kind to remind us how fast and how fleeting
This life of limited days.
How quick we forget how long and how lasting
The life that follows the grave.
So, teach us, teach us, Everlasting One!
Beyond Common Sense 