The Weekly Word - A Devotion for the Week of June 8
The Lord has shown you what is good. He has told you what he requires of you. You must act with justice. You must love to show mercy. And you must be humble as you live in the sight of your God. – Micah 6:8
A lot has happened in the last week alone. In addition to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we now find ourselves reeling from witnessing the horrifying killing of George Floyd and others and the subsequent protests and violence sparked both in our own nation and around the world as a result.
Many of us feel helpless and perhaps even hopeless as we witness racial tensions escalate to a level not seen in decades. We feel grief and anger for those who have been marginalized and abused by those in power. And yet, it’s hard to know how to channel our emotions toward something positive and productive in the midst of this pain.
Today we turn to the prophet Micah, who reminds us that our God not only knows and feels this pain Himself, He also offers us instructions for how we can and should respond.
Act with justice. Show mercy. Live humbly.
The Lord offers these general directives, but His desire is that we will do the work to live out these commands with specificity in our own lives and in our own communities. Acting with justice, showing mercy and living humbly will look differently for each one of us, but the message is clear: we have important work to do, and the time is now. God’s Word is as relevant today as it was when the Book of Micah was written many thousands of years ago.
Today, let us look to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for hope, guidance and help. As a voice and an advocate for the marginalized and disenfranchised during His own time, Jesus was not silent or complacent in the face of the oppression He witnessed. Rather, He acted with justice. He showed mercy. And He lived humbly in the sight of His Father.
Each of us is called to do the same – not someday, not tomorrow, but right now.
Gracious God, I am overwhelmed by all that I am seeing, hearing and feeling. I feel helpless, and yet, I also know that You call me to speak and act on behalf of those who are oppressed. Lord, give me the strength, courage and resilience to act with justice, show mercy and live humbly, right here and now in my own community and among my own neighbors. Amen.