Where Justice and Mercy Meet

He has showed you, O man, 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).

The prophet Micah summarizes the requirements of God in three short statements. These statements put God’s life directions in the framework that he intended. By keeping within these parameters we will discover the kind of life God desires for us.

To act justly

God wants us to do what is right for all people. He calls us to turn from our own selfish goals and make sure that people are treated in the way that God intended. To act justly certainly is not easy when most people couldn’t care less about justice. But that should not be an excuse for us to compromise righteousness.

There is a call here to help the poor and oppressed, those who are helpless against the injustices of society. But we must first learn to live this way among those closest to us: family, friends, neighbours, and co-workers.

To love mercy

Mercy without justice is injustice. But mercy with justice is love. God does not delight in taking us to task for our wrongs. He yearns for his children to find their way back to him. As people turn to him, he is eager to receive them. We need to demonstrate his heart.

To walk humbly with your God

To walk humbly with God means to have a right understanding of who God is and who we are. If justice was all there was, we would all be cast away from his presence. But God in his mercy has provided the way for us to be in his presence.

Through the sacrifice of the Messiah, God’s justice and mercy meet. In order to fulfill God’s righteous requirements, Yeshua was executed on our behalf. When we realize what God has done for us, we are enabled to live life as we were meant to.