January 25, 2023
Scripture: Micah 6.6-8 (Common English Bible)
With what should I approach the Lord
And bow down before God on high?
Should I come before him with entirely burned offerings,
With year-old calves?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
With many torrents of oil?
Should I give my oldest child for my crime;
The fruit of my body for the sin of my spirit?
God has told you, human one, what is good and
What the Lord requires from you:
To do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with your God.
Devotion:
Every day, I walk my daughter through the office hallway, through the Narthex, and to her class at Kids’ Day Out (KDO) at our Preschool. Some days, she holds my hand and walks alongside me; she doesn’t try to get too far ahead or lag too far behind. She simply walks in stride with me, one hand safely grasping mine, until it is time to say goodbye and head off to her class. But some days…most days…the process is a bit more wild. Some days, Maeve wants to run down the hallway ahead of me, and some days she wants to drag her feet and walk as slowly as possible. Some days (most days) she is totally distracted and entranced by the artifacts in their case from Malawi, and some days she would even like to throw a total tantrum about following me. She is willful, wanting to go her own way, and she is full of pride in her walking, her “big-kid” abilities, and her ability to take on the world.
As I have been reading and reflecting on Micah 6.8 this week, the phrase “walk humbly with your God” has been sticking out to me. I wonder what it looks like to “walk humbly.” Perhaps it looks something like that Footprints in the Sand poem where God carries us a portion of the journey. Perhaps it looks like Psalm 23 where we are placidly led beside still waters. As I have reflected on what it means to walk humbly, I find myself imagining what my walk beside God has looked like, and I must admit, it probably looks a bit more like my daughter’s more willful days than her more obedient days. Like Maeve, I’m distracted by the pretty things in the glass cases of this world. When I ought to walk, sometimes I am stuck standing still. When I ought to slow down, I am often trying to run ahead. When I ought to listen, sometimes I am too busy talking. When I ought to be humble, sometimes I am filled with my own pride.
As we prepare for worship on Sunday, may we reflect on our own walk with God: are we gently holding the hand of God who is leading us through life? Or are we willfully seeking our own direction? May we learn to walk humbly with the One who is reaching out a hand to guide us. Join me on Sunday at 10am for worship!
With what should I approach the Lord
And bow down before God on high?
Should I come before him with entirely burned offerings,
With year-old calves?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
With many torrents of oil?
Should I give my oldest child for my crime;
The fruit of my body for the sin of my spirit?
God has told you, human one, what is good and
What the Lord requires from you:
To do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with your God.
Devotion:
Every day, I walk my daughter through the office hallway, through the Narthex, and to her class at Kids’ Day Out (KDO) at our Preschool. Some days, she holds my hand and walks alongside me; she doesn’t try to get too far ahead or lag too far behind. She simply walks in stride with me, one hand safely grasping mine, until it is time to say goodbye and head off to her class. But some days…most days…the process is a bit more wild. Some days, Maeve wants to run down the hallway ahead of me, and some days she wants to drag her feet and walk as slowly as possible. Some days (most days) she is totally distracted and entranced by the artifacts in their case from Malawi, and some days she would even like to throw a total tantrum about following me. She is willful, wanting to go her own way, and she is full of pride in her walking, her “big-kid” abilities, and her ability to take on the world.
As I have been reading and reflecting on Micah 6.8 this week, the phrase “walk humbly with your God” has been sticking out to me. I wonder what it looks like to “walk humbly.” Perhaps it looks something like that Footprints in the Sand poem where God carries us a portion of the journey. Perhaps it looks like Psalm 23 where we are placidly led beside still waters. As I have reflected on what it means to walk humbly, I find myself imagining what my walk beside God has looked like, and I must admit, it probably looks a bit more like my daughter’s more willful days than her more obedient days. Like Maeve, I’m distracted by the pretty things in the glass cases of this world. When I ought to walk, sometimes I am stuck standing still. When I ought to slow down, I am often trying to run ahead. When I ought to listen, sometimes I am too busy talking. When I ought to be humble, sometimes I am filled with my own pride.
As we prepare for worship on Sunday, may we reflect on our own walk with God: are we gently holding the hand of God who is leading us through life? Or are we willfully seeking our own direction? May we learn to walk humbly with the One who is reaching out a hand to guide us. Join me on Sunday at 10am for worship!