The Walk

This was originally written in August 2008

Micah 6:8 He has shown you O Man, what is good, And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God?

Maybe you're like me and this isn't something you heard allot of from the pulpit growing up.
Perhaps it was I and I wasn't paying attention. I was probably daydreaming about some boy I had a crush on. . .
But, frankly, I knew more about rules, than Mercy and certainly more than humility.
As an adult I heard a song by Steven Curtis Chapman with that verse interwoven into the lyrics. I'm embarrassed to say, I still didn't realize it was a Bible verse.

Then in my late 20's our pastor spoke on this passage. What an eye opener! I remember crying for repentance thinking about all the people who I had smugly looked on as it seemed 'they got what they deserved'.

I so often tended to think of the Old Testament as all Fire and Brimstone, all judgement and no Grace.
But, here in the midst of all the sowing and reaping, is a passage telling me not to look down my nose at those who have gone astray. Not to question when someone didn't get what they 'had coming' to them. I am supposed to LOVE mercy.

UHMM, yeah, I don't always love mercy. Sometimes, mercy annoys me.

Never of course, when it has to do with me. Then I LOVE me some mercy!!
But, for others, not so much with the loving.

You know the story, sinned for years, or in an instant and it was B I G (as if God has categories of sin, but you know big to human eyes) and then they repent and are forgiven.
And nothing happens. Well, something happens, but I want to see it. Especially, if the "Big Sin' involved hurting someone I love. Then I don't want to love mercy. Oh I'm happy and all that, but I have to say that I've struggled with the loving of Mercy sometimes.

I can be pretty pious and look way down the end of my short nose, thinking I would NEVER do that 'Big thing'. I'm a good Christian girl, raised properly don't ya know?!?! No sir, I would never do that? (Insert mean, nasty sin here: Adultery, homosexuality, abortion. Lying, gossip. . oh wait, we were just talking the Big stuff right?)
As if my sin somehow didn't nail Jesus to the cross!
So much easier to keep a list of rules then to walk humbly and Love (couldn't He has just said like?) mercy.

Perhaps, I'm the only one who struggles with this. . . of course, I have been in church my whole life so, quite frankly I don't think so. . .
I want my walk to say to others: Come to Jesus and He WILL give you rest. He DOES forgive sin and YES He loves you! And He forgave me too! And, oh I am so thankful He did and humbled by it everyday!

The Walk (chorus only)
You can run with the big dogs
You can fly without he eagle
Jump through all the hoops and lib your ladder to the top
But when it all comes down
You know it all comes down
To the Walk
Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly with your God.
Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly with your God.
Walk humbly with your God.
(Lyrics by SCC)