“He has told you, oh man, what is good and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God.”
– Micah 6:8
Whenever we see God say in his word, “Here’s what the Lord requires of you,” we should sit up and take special attention. This is God telling us what is good and what is required of us to do justice. God requires us to love kindness. God requires this of you and me and to walk humbly with him.
Micah 6:8 Reminds Us That God Requires Justice and Kindness
I think about a Sunday school teacher I had growing up, who, in the church, I grew up in, poured into so many kids and students’ lives, Mr. Lussie. And I have in my office, a little plaque that he gave me and so many other kids and students that contains this verse, Micah 6:8, and then a paraphrase that he put alongside it where he wrote, “In the practice of justice, do what God has declared to be right. In the practice of faithful love, love as Christ loved. In walking humbly with God, let God lead the way.” And for years I have looked at this verse, Micah 6:8, and that paraphrase from Mr. Lussie and been reminded that this is what God requires of me and you today.
Micah 6:8 Reminds Us That God’s Requirements Align with His Character
And so it makes total sense for us to pray exactly what we read here. God, help us to do what is good and what you require of us. Even as we pray that, we praise you for your promise to give us everything we need to do all that you call us to do, that you don’t require of us anything that you don’t empower us to do. And so we pray for your strength, your help to do justice, to do that which is right and good as exemplified by your character and described in your word, especially knowing how much your word talks about doing justice for those who are in need, for those who are oppressed or enslaved or impoverished or have been or are being hurt in some way.
God, help us to do justice, to do that which is right and good according to your word and your character today. Help us to live lives of doing justice and to love kindness. Lord, help us to be kind, to love kindness, to demonstrate kindness in all that we do and all that we think, even the things that no one else but you know and see. God, may we love kindness.
And God, we pray that you would help us to walk humbly with you today. We pray for humility in all of our lives. Please remove pride from us and God help us to follow your lead as Mr. Lussie put it on this plaque I have in my room, to walk humbly with you and let you lead the way. God, lead us and guide us today in every way we pray. And we trust that your guidance will be good.
Praying for the Tabasaran People
And God, we pray specifically today on behalf of the Tabasaran people of Dagestan and Russia and Ukraine for this unreached people group. God, we pray knowing that it is right and good for them to hear the gospel. Lord, we pray for the spread of the gospel to them. God, please empower, cause your church to go and get the gospel to the Tabasaran people of Ukraine and Russia. Lord, that they might do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with you by the power of Jesus in them. God, we pray all of this according to your word in Micah 6:8. We love your word.
And I praise you for Mr. Lussie and for so many other people who spend their lives pouring your word into kids and students who serve in so many different ways in the church for the spread of your word, the passing down of your truth to the next generation per your blessing on Mr. Lussie and all those like him. In Jesus’ name, amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
