What Do You Want From Me God?

Mayor Gerardo Balmori

The Salvation Army

Introduction:

In our walk as Christians, we need to have a sense of direction where God lead us. The Old

Testament is rich of teachings of Grace and Mercy, preparing the road for the coming of the

Messiah, the fulfillment of the Law, full of Mercy and Love. How can I follow His teachings? What

Does God Wants From Me?

I. DO JUSTLY

Act with fairness, honesty, and integrity. When I thought about Micah’s words about “wealthy

oppressors,” I couldn’t help but reflect on some of the banking practices in our times—practices

which are certainly legal, but which make you wonder. The current going rate in our area for

overdraft fees is $29.00 in most places. One thing that has always made me wonder—when it comes

to charging that fee, they will assess it even if it causes it to show a negative balance. Why not do

that in the first place and contact you to make a deposit?

Okay, enough of my frustration with banks, let’s try another subject. How about donations at the

Salvation Army? Most of the people ask for a receipt that afterwards exaggerates with the amount of

the value of the donated items. Do they “do justly” when it comes to filing the tax returns each year?

Micah mentions also the “short measure” (v. 10) that unscrupulous merchants were using in selling

their goods. There is an old saying, “honesty is the best policy.” But for the Christian, that slogan

should be, “honesty is the ONLY policy.” Because the witness is consistent in all of Scripture that we

are called to be people of fairness and integrity in all our dealings: Psalm 51:6, “You desire truth in

the inward parts”; Proverbs 4:23, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring all the

issues of life”; Matthew 12:34, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” We must settle

it deep in our hearts to be a people of integrity, and be on guard in the battle to “do justly.”

II. LOVE MERCY

We are also to fill our hearts with compassion and kindness toward one another. The Hebrew word

“hesed,” translated as “mercy,” is a rich one, used variously as mercy, tender mercies, loving

kindness, and steadfast love. It is most often used in a covenant sense, involving the attitude of two

parties who are in covenantal relationship with one another. In relation to God’s mercy, it is used

most often of His grace, or of UNEXPECTED kindness. Notice also that the requirement here is not

that we HAVE mercy, but that we are to LOVE mercy. There is a big difference between the two. One

way of describing the difference is to say that we don’t just do acts of kindness from a sense of

obedience or compulsion, but we do them out of love.

Because we have such a merciful God, we are exhorted to have mercy. Jesus said, “Blessed are the

merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7). Peter wrote, “All of you be of one mind, having

compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tender-hearted” (1 Peter 3:8). Mercy is often not

what we would show one another; but it is the only response that makes any sense in light of the

mercy that God has shown us in Jesus Christ.

III. WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD

It was said of a man named Enoch that he “walked with God”—and he walked so closely, the

Scripture says, that “Enoch was not, for God took him” (Genesis 5:24). That must have been one

incredible walk! But we are told here not just to WALK with God, but to walk HUMBLY. HOW CAN

WE WALK HUMBLY WITH GOD? I find it helpful when I think of “walking” with God to look at

places in Scripture which use the same metaphor of walking to describe our relationship with God. I

offer here several that may be helpful in seeing the truth of our text:

(1) Walk in obedience—“Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord”

(Psalm 119:1).

(2) Walk in good works—“We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which

God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

(3) Walk in wisdom—“Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time”

(Colossians 4:5).

(4) Walk in the light—“If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one

another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

(5) Walk in the Spirit—“Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” (Galatians

5:16).

(6) Walk in love—“Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us” (Ephesians