Walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8
I’d see her welcoming the dawn each day. She was our local power walker. As I drove my kids to school, she’d be there on the road’s shoulder. Equipped with an oversized pair of headphones and knee-high, colorful socks, she walked with an alternating movement of arms and feet, always with one foot in contact with the ground. The sport is different from running or jogging. Power walking involves an intentional restraint, a reining in of the body’s natural inclination to run. Although it doesn’t look like it, there’s just as much energy, focus, and power involved as in running or jogging. But it’s under control.
Power under control—that’s the key. Biblical humility, like power walking, is often viewed as weakness. The truth is, it’s not. Humility isn’t diminishing our strengths or abilities, but rather allowing them to be reined in much like the arms and legs and feet guided by the mind of an early morning power walker.
Micah’s words “walk humbly” are a call for us to rein in our inclination to go ahead of God. He says “to act justly and to love mercy” (6:8), and that can bring with it a desire to do something and do it fast. That’s fair since the daily injustices in our world are so overwhelming. But we are to be controlled and directed by God. Our goal is to see His will and purposes accomplished in the dawning of His kingdom here on earth.
In what circumstance have you “run ahead” of God? Do you usually view humility as a strength or a weakness? Why?
To walk humbly with You, O God, is not always easy. Train me, so that my steps are in tune with You and Your will.
INSIGHT
The book of Micah can be divided into three prophetic messages. Chapter 6 is part of the third message (6:1–7:20) given to the people of Israel through the prophet Micah. This section opens with a courtroom scene (6:1) where God calls the mountains and hills to be His witnesses against Israel (v. 2). In verses 3–5, God describes His faithfulness to Israel to show that there wasn’t any reason for their rebellion against Him. The questions Micah asks in verses 6–8 show how Israel had been making the required sacrifices but with the wrong heart attitude. Verse 8 describes how God wanted them to treat other people: to seek justice (in terms of judgment and the law), love mercy (show unfailing kindness), and walk humbly (in a cautious manner), remembering that God is above and before us.