“Stand up, plead my case before the mountains; let the hills hear what you have to say. 2 “Hear, you mountains, the Lord’s accusation; listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth. For the Lord has a case against his people; he is lodging a charge against Israel. 3 “My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me. 4 I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam. 5 My people, remember what Balak king of Moab plotted and what Balaam son of Beor answered. Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord.”
6 With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He 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 6:1-8 NIV
God of past, present and future,
A history lesson, Shittim, the last place they camped in the desert after being freed from Egypt. Gilgal the first place they camped in the promised land. And what happened? it was good to reread how Balaam’s donkey saved him from the angel (Numbers 22:21-31),and how he just could not curse Your people but only bless them. Balak was angry enough to explode! But he could not fight You Lord God (Numbers 24:1-10). Their battle to enter the promised land was also spiritual one. But You were faithful and Micah reminded them that You, God would be for them but that thousands of sacrifices are not what You, God requires.
You, Lord were and still are looking for a relationship with Your people. Where they seek You for who You are, how to live and how to go forward. Not just being good, but walking Your way in humility and not as if we know it all!.
We may not see the spiritual war going on around us. We do not always know when someone is plotting against us. Actually or spiritually. But You promised to fight for us. “ What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). I know it does not always mean we get the upper hand but we know that You are at work for good. Justice is not cancelled, sometimes it awaits a later time. And we need You to help us deal with our anger and hate and disappointment when the Balak’s of this world seem to have there way . . .
To act justly, love mercy and walk humbly- we can only achieve if we walk with You, Lord and seek Your forgiveness for when we fail. Trusting You to watch over us, in the battles we cannot see, and then ones we do, as we go.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Worship Monday 28th July 2025
It all comes down to this
What you require of me
Love my neighbor as myself
And You above all things
Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly
With You, God
In all things, in all ways, walk humbly
With You, God
It all comes down to this
To be Your hands and feet
Good news to all the world
Oh the truth will set us free
Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly
With You, God
In all things, in all ways, walk humbly
With You, God
It’s beauty for ashes
It’s mourning to dancing
It’s closer and closer
The Kingdom of heaven
Beauty for ashes
It’s mourning to dancing
It’s closer and closer
The Kingdom of heaven
And years from now we’ll see
The fruit our hands have sown
Faith just like a seed
The only way it grows
Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly
With You, God
In all things, in all ways, walk humbly
With You, God
Lyrics: Chris Tomlin, Jason David Ingram, Patrick George, Anthony Barrett