Life's Lessons

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 6:8 NIV)

Two weeks ago, my youth pastor told me that my assignment was to memorise this verse. At that time, I thought~ "How does this verse apply to me now?" So I went back that day, not thinking much about this verse. I read the MSG version which translates this verse as:

But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do,

what God is looking for in men and women.

It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbour,

be compassionate and loyal in your love,

and don’t take yourself too seriously—

take God seriously.

(Micah 6:8 MSG)

1. To act justly --> to do what is fair and just

2. To love mercy --> to be compassionate and loyal in my love

3. To walk humbly with my God --> to walk with and not before God, acknowledging that I need Him because I am weak but He is strong

The last point was a huge question mark to me.. Why did Jerm have to repeat "to walk humbly with my God, not before Him" three times? To walk with means to have God accompany me and walk alongside me. That when I face a problem, a difficult time or an issue, He is the first person I speak to for help because He's right beside me. However, to walk before means to walk on my own first and come across a stumbling block on my own and try to resolve it with my own strength first. And until I realise I cannot do it on my own, then I go to God for help.

Sometimes in life, we tend to get too caught up with ourselves and allow everything to revolve around me, myself and I. But Jesus said, "Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." Unless we die to ourselves and our selfish desires, our life will forever revolve around ourselves. But if we allow that part of us to die, it will produce much fruit because the seeds are able to be scattered. I remember Pastor Jeremy Seaward once said that unless we die to ourselves, we cannot bear fruits because we are looking only at our own needs and we focus on ourselves instead of the needs of others. But a revivalist is someone who looks out for the needs of others first. Who's willing to spend time in discipleship.

I remember the assignments given to me by Jerm when we met up 2 weeks ago.. To memorise Micah 6:8 NIV, to write a letter to God and burn it symbolically, to share the part of me God is working at to restore and expose to the light so that what is dark will also become light. And for our cell to look into expanding, look into reading Ephesians together. I pray that this will all be done in God's time and speed. In Jesus Name, amen.