CEREMONY OR SIMPLICITY?

CEREMONY OR SIMPLICITY?

Mic 6:6-8

6 Wherewith [or how] shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?

7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

           There is a danger of mistaking religious formalities for true faith. This was the message of my devotional just two days ago. It has always been Satan’s strategy to either pollute or pervert the ceremonies and symbols of true faith. We must always guard against mistaking the forms for true faith or exchanging them for the reality of a relationship with “the high God.”

           We see the question in verse 7 which is the measure of true religion. With what will the Lord be pleased? Will it be the sacrifices of our cattle till the streets run red? Will it be so much pure olive oil that we could float an armada? Would he, like the god Molech, be content with the death of my firstborn in the fire of sacrifice? At the very least we understand that “the sin of my soul” is a very serious thing.

           Three simple things are required for a daily walk with “the high God.” The first is to do justly; to do the right thing. The second is to love mercy; to have a heart that is in tune with God. Finally we are simply to walk humbly with our God. In these three we see no Temple, no priest and no ceremonies. We see a follower walking hand in hand with his God. His practices, his paths and his passions are all in tune with God. This is the simplicity of true worship.

Dear Lord, walk with me today and let me walk with you. AMEN