Charlie W. Starr

Lesson and Life

Unit 2: Prophecies of Judgment

Lesson 5 (July 29, 2001):

What God Requires

What do You Want from Me?

            The captain of a firehouse called a rookie fireman into his office on the young man’s first day of work.  “I want to talk about what your job will be here, son.”  Before his boss could go on, the eager new worker replied, “I’ve given that a lot of thought,” and excitedly recounted his strengths at the training school--his excellence with the fire hose, his achievements in simulated rescue, the speed with which he could start the water pumping, and his superior scores in driving the trucks.  “But son,” said the captain, “that’s not what you’re here for.”  Shocked to silence, the puzzled novice searched his mind to recall what he’d left out, until his superior reminded him, “Your job is to put out fires.”
            Sometimes the best of us wonder if we’re doing what God wants us to do.  We’d like Him to put out a summary list of the requirements.  Sometimes I pick up my Bible and I think, “How big!  What’s it all in a nutshell, God?  What’s my one job?”

            The CIV (Charlie International Version)

            Micah asked God a simple question, which I’d like to update as follows:

What does God want from me?  Should I tithe ten percent of my pretax income and contribute even more to the “faith promise” offering?  Does God enjoy ten years worth of perfect church attendance with Sunday school and Wednesday nights thrown in?  Should I home school my kids, sending them to Bible college where they’ll study missions and go to a third world country where I’ll never see them again?  He’s told you, Charlie, all that He requires:  act right, have a heart of mercy, and walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:6-8)

            The Bottom Line

            There are many passages in the Bible that seem to summarize the whole book.  James tells us that, true religion is staying undefiled and taking care of widows and orphans (1:27).  He’s saying, be holy and love people.  In the golden rule (Matthew 22:37-39), Jesus says about the same thing: we should love God and love people.  Micah is no different.  To “act justly” and “love mercy” are statements about how we should treat people.  We should be honest in our actions and forgiving toward the actions of others.  But I especially love Micah telling us to ‘walk humbly with our God.’  Somehow that line takes the command to love God and makes it personal.
            Loving God isn’t about following a list of rules and regulations; it’s about walking with Him, just like Adam walked with Him in the garden.  It’s about having a relationship with God.  In relationships, we spend time with our loved ones, we talk to them, we share with them.  Certainly there are things in life God wants us to do.  But first, He wants our hearts; He wants us to go out for a walk-through-life with Him.

            Ask Yourself . . .

            1.  How does getting “caught up” in what you’re supposed to be doing keep you from genuinely relating to God?

            2.  What can you do differently in your own life to turn it into a humble walk with God?