The Simple Agenda

Read: Micah 6:6-8

The LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

IN WORD

The prophets of Scripture gave us plenty of glimpses behind the scenes of our lives. What did they show us? God’s nature, His purposes, and His assessments of His people, among other things. Or in other words, pictures of His Kingdom and how it should apply to our lives. Though page after page of prophetic messages may confuse us with ancient imagery and the politics of an obscure age, the themes are remarkably simple. They boil down to the rightness and goodness of God Himself. His will for His people is to be like Him. And He is just, merciful, and good.

Micah presents a courtroom scene between God and His people. God has a case against those He has called to be like Him. In the midst of this legal drama, the prophet offers a summary statement that begins with a simple fact: The Lord has told you what is good.

Really? Yes. In spite of our human tendency to complicate things, or to apply situational ethics to our dilemmas, we really can know what is good—and it isn’t complicated. God is good, and everything against His will is bad. That’s all there is to it. Light and darkness. Truth and lies. Good and evil. In confusing times, it helps to get back to the basics.

IN DEED

It’s true that human life in a fallen world is textured and layered with nuances and even a few exceptions, but when we get caught up in complexities, we need to remember to anchor ourselves in the basics. God is good, even when circumstances seem to be giving us a raw deal. Truth, justice, and mercy—all of which flow out of His love—are foundational aspects of His goodness. The Kingdom culture really isn’t complicated as long as we hold to what we know to be true. And that has already been revealed. We can trust the revelation. To stand for goodness is to stand with God.

ADDITIONAL READING: James 1:16-18

If you love the justice of Jesus Christ more than you fear human judgment, you will seek to do compassion.

MECHTILDE OF MAGDEBURG