The Pastor's Corner
October 2026
He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)
Scripture tells of God’s love for us and God’s desire that we love each other. One of my favorite scripture passages is Micah 6:8. It is a summary of the Ten Commandments, much like the Greatest Commandment which we find in Matthew 22:34–40; Mark 12:28–34; Luke 10:25–28.
27 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and love your neighbor as yourself (Luke 10:27).
The Hebrew word which is translated as “require” may be better translated as desire, want, plead for, or crave. It means something that is more emotional and more personal than the way we understand “require.” God give us what he wants from us – unconditional love. God does not want things from us, he wants us.
The last part of this verse is interesting. It uses action verbs – do, love walk – but what God desires from us is less about our actions and more about our attitudes. God wants our hearts and not empty platitudes.
Justice means following a published code of laws as well as a general sense of doing what is right and fair. Jesus said, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12). In other words, do justice.
The Hebrew word hesed is sometimes translated as: to love mercy, to love loyalty, to love goodness, to show constant love, to be compassionate and loyal in your love. Each of these other translations touch on some aspect of what Micah is trying to convey. God wants us to love each other. God wants us to want to love each other, to find joy in loving each other. Hesed, or to love kindness then, is not just a sense of duty but rather a way of life.
As we read in James 1:22, “be doers of the word and not just hearers.” Every person is unique and so every need is unique. Rather than ask, “What do I want to do for this person in need?” Instead, maybe we should ask “What does this person really need?” By changing our perspective, the person in need is not an object of our good deeds but a friend. Our response to their need becomes an act of love and compassion rather than an obligation.
What does it mean to walk humbly with your God? The term humbly is sometimes translated as attentively, wisely, or carefully. It’s only other occurrence in the Bible is in Proverbs 11:2 “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.” This seems to indicate that humility is the opposite of pride. Remember the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14). The Pharisee was praying in the temple, “Thank God I am not like that tax collector.” The tax collector prayed, “Lord have mercy on me, a sinner.” Micah doesn’t say to be humble, rather he says to walk humbly. This indicates an ongoing action. All of our actions are to be colored by our love for and trust in God. To walk humbly with our God is to live a life that glorifies God.
May God continue to bless you,
Pastor Teresa