What God Requires of Us

Today’s Scripture reading focused on what God requires of us - the two passages that stuck with me were Micah 6:8 and Hosea 6:6,

He has showed 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?

Micah 6:8 (RSV-2CE)

This doesn’t mean that sacrifice itself is bad, but that outward acts of worship cannot substitute for mercy and truly knowing God.

God has shown us time and time again what He wants of us and how we should behave. In Micah it’s clear that we should do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly. Also, note that Scripture doesn’t say just be those things, but walk with God! God doesn’t want us to be separated from Him, but to be in communion with Him. We should be walking with God, not just doing good things. He also wants us to know Him,

For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God, rather than burnt offerings.

Hosea 6:6 (RSV-2CE)

What struck me is the image of God and how He is. He is love (1 John 4:8), He is perfectly good (Psalm 119:68), He is light (1 John 1:5).

So He wants us to walk with him and imitate him (Ephesians 5:1) as best as we can. He wants us to be merciful, to know Him and to love Him. He doesn’t want goodness to remain something external that we perform. He wants us to become like Him. To be in communion with Him. To be in relationship with Him. To be in love with Him.

Perhaps this is why knowing God, reading His words in Scripture and becoming like Him cannot really be separated: the more we walk with Him, the more we should begin to resemble Him.