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WHAT DO I HAVE TO GIVE TO GOD? (MICAH 6:1-16)

REFLECTION

“What do I have to give to God?” is the theme for our reflection. Our reflection will focus on the fact that God expects us to walk humbly with Him. To walk humbly means to demonstrate the character of submissiveness. Disciples or believers are required to walk humbly with God or to be submissive to Him in our covenant relationship with Him. Without humility, it is impossible to have a fruitful relationship with God. Prophet Micah admonished Israel concerning their pride, disobedience and unfaithfulness to God. He made them understand that God desires to see them act justly, love one another, especially caring for the poor and vulnerable, and humbly walk with Him. Micah admonished them, “He (God) 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.” (Micah 6:8)

Beloved in the Lord, for us to walk humbly with God, we must demonstrate total submission or humility to Him because it is impossible to have a fruitful relationship with God when our hearts and actions are full of pride. Pride causes us to disobey God and consequently makes us walk without the glory of God in our lives. Indeed, pride renders us blind and misguided, it is only a matter of time before we fall into the ditch of shame and destruction. We shall recall that pride made Adam and Eve disobey God thereby causing them to lose their immortality. Their pride brought suffering and death to humanity. “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” (Genesis 3:4-6) Why would Adam and Eve want to be like God? It is important to note that God has given us the permissible will to be like Him but there are also impermissible commandments or instructions that prohibit us from trying to be like God or competing with God.

The sin of pride means disobeying God by becoming like Him or attempting to rub shoulders with Him. To walk humbly, Paul admonished us to follow Jesus’ perfect example of submissiveness to God when he wrote, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:5-8). Jesus walked with God in humility and total submissiveness. Even when it became challenging for Him to go through suffering and death for the sake of our salvation, Jesus demonstrated His humility or submissiveness to God when He said “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39).

Dear friend in Christ, failing to walk humbly with God comes with its consequences, however, walking humbly with the Lord pleases Him and brings us blessings or rewards. When the Israelites disobeyed God or refused to humble themselves, God declared through the Prophet Micah to them, “ You will eat but not be satisfied; your stomach will still be empty. You will store up but save nothing because what you save I will give to the sword. 15 You will plant but not harvest; you will press olives but not use the oil, you will crush grapes but not drink the wine.” (Micah 6:14-15).  Again, when Adam and Eve failed to walk humbly with the Lord by attempting to be like Him, He was not pleased with them, therefore, punished them and he drove them out of the Garden of Eden. However, when Jesus walked humbly with God, He said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him! (Matthew 17:5) Again, Paul wrote, Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11). In other words, to please God and to experience His glory we must offer to Him a humble heart.

Beloved in the Lord, we experience elevation when we walk humbly with Him. He greatly elevates or exalts us when we walk humbly with Him, it is for this reason that James admonished us, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” (James 4:10). Also, Proverbs 29:23 reminds us that “pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honour”. Again, God admonishes us through the Prophet Isaiah, “These are the ones I look on with favour: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.” (Isaiah 66:2). Finally, our Lord Jesus Himself has taught us that “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. (Matthew 23:12). Dear friend in the Lord, are you humbly walking with God as a true disciple of Christ? Do your actions demonstrate the perfect example of Jesus’ humility at your workplace, in your marriage, church and society? Do your church members, colleagues, family members and friends testify that you are humble? Dear friend, If we sincerely walk humbly with God, we shall obey His commandment which Jesus summarised as, The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31). Love through total submission or humility and obedience is what we have to give to God even as we give love to our fellow human beings.

In summary, we have reflected on the theme and question, “What do I have to give to God?” God requires our humility or submissiveness. In other words, to have a fruitful relationship with God and be blessed, we must walk humbly with Him. Shalom.

PRAYER

Holy Spirit, strengthen us to walk humbly with the Lord. May our pride be consumed by Your sanctifying power and may our submissiveness elevate us to greatness through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.