BE vs. DO

Micah 6:6-8
 ⁶ What can we bring to the Lord?
      What kind of offerings should we give him?
   Should we bow before God
      with offerings of yearling calves?
 ⁷ Should we offer him thousands of rams
      and ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
   Should we sacrifice our firstborn children
      to pay for our sins?
 ⁸ No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,
      and this is what he requires of you:
   to do what is right, to love mercy,
      and to walk humbly with your God.

// THOUGHTS:

.. Are we covering up our disobedience with the sacrifices we give to the Lord?  Just like the Israelites, many of us try to cover up our disobedience or rebellion against God by "doing" and offering things that might be able to "atone" for our disobedience.  Yet, just as God has reminded the people of Israel, "The Lord has told you what is good..." and that is to DO WHAT IS RIGHT, LOVE MERCY, AND TO WALK HUMBLY with your God.  That is all summed to "being" who God wants us to be. 

.. We don't need to cover up our wrongs by sacrifice if we know are doing what God requires of us.  Hence, "to obey is better than sacrifice."  God delights when we obey Him rather than offering so much of us when we are actually not completely obeying God.  It's plain and simple.  BE rather than DO.  But when you "BE", then you "DO" what is required with more weight in it.

// BELLE:

I am not disobeying the Lord.  Why am I being reminded of this?  A few things:  (1) being reminded of what might be coming ahead - personally; (2) the people under my God-given authority might be experiencing this and I might need to be aware of them - ministry at home, or church.   Of course, this is my own devotion - hence it is directly for me. 

It's a huge reminder that it is more important to OBEY than to be offering empty sacrifices when I can't even obey God with what's required of me.  I need to always check my motives and make sure that I am clean before God - nothing is hidden nor covered up.  I will always BE so I can have a weighty DO.


// LORD, thank you for reminding me of this truth.  I pray that You will guide me always as I continue to live my life for the glory of Your name.  Remove from me any form of disobedience or rebellious attitude.  Thank you for helping me through tough times when it's so hard to obey or submit.  You are my source of strength.  In Jesus' name, amen.