What Do We Require?

Micah 6 gives us a very clear picture of what God requires of us, “He has showed you, O man, 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.” It is common in every religion to find a focus on behavior, a focus that stems from a picture of a god who requires outward change in return for a blessing. Pretty sweet bargain right? You'd think so since most of the world subscribes to such an agreement.

While God is accused of being demanding, what about our demands of God? Do we have any? In this author’s opinion – yes! The list is long and painfully familiar: revenge on our enemies; eternal life based good works; financial gain based on faithful tithing; good health according to our “peculiar” health plan; peace and prosperity gained by worshipping on the right day; and positions of esteem like Daniel and Joseph for praying, studying and sharing.

We are quick to claim the promises of God, and we ought to! He encourages us to be sure of His word, but what happens when God doesn’t seem to follow through on His end? Are we patient or are we demanding? John 6 describes a crowd of people searching for Jesus on a lakeside beach and not being able to find Him, search a little harder. They finally discover Him are confronted with Christ who says, “"I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” Ouch! I don’t think they were expecting such a greeting yet, isn’t it just like God to get right to the point?

The crowd responded by asking, “"What must we do to do the works God requires?" Nothing much has changed in the last two thousand years; we are still asking the same question that can be rephrased, “What hoops must we jump through to gain approval and love?” Jesus answered them, and us, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." They came back with,”show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do?” See? When we are not precoccupied with what we can do for God, we then ask what God can do for us. Just a brief glance at one passage in scripture can sum up man’s heart and seem to suggest all is hopeless but that is when we are to read on! Before you begin to call foul and close out this page, it is true, God does call us to action, “For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life.”

While we pray, attend church and prayer meetings dutifully let’s remember that while these things are important to our spiritual growth, they will not heal us. God heals us.