What God Really Wants

 

Micah 6:6 “With what shall I come before the Lord,
    and bow myself before God on high?
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 thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
    the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
8 He has told you, O 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?

What to notice first here is what comes last: the question mark.  Micah is questioning his people, challenging them to examine themselves. The chapter again with a courtroom setting. We are to interrogate ourselves: "What does God really want from me?" Is it an abundance of gifts and deeds? Does he want child sacrifice like the most inhumane idols? No. He has made it simple and plain in everything He has shown and told us: justice and mercy toward others, like He has shown us, and humility before Him demonstrated by trust and sincere worship. Are we giving Him what He really wants?