There’s a fine line between justice and mercy and I think we can only balance on it if we are humble.
The prophet Micah says, “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” (Micah 6:8, NIV).
Micah charges the Israelites (and us, really) with crimes against God: idolatry, covetousness, dishonesty. And the people are first outraged, then they want to know how to buy God off so He doesn’t destroy them. But most of them don’t repent. They’re never humble. Never sorry. Never sad about the whole situation.
Thankfully, Micah speaks of a shepherd king. “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times…He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And he will be their peace” (Micah 5: 2, 4-5a, NIV).
In the throne room of God, when we stand before Him for judgment, we will be found guilty, but our shepherd king will not only plead our case, he has already taken our punishment for us. How can we look into the face of that kindness and mercy and grace and not be humbled?
With Love In Christ,
Stephanie