What are you expecting from God this year? What do you think God expects from you in 2023?

The prophet Micah famously asks, what does God want from me? The answer is essentially to be like God by doing justice, loving mercy and walking humbly with God. It is significant to notice just before Micah gets to that answer he initially responds with what many of us instinctively think as we consider the question, 'What does God want from me?' He must want me to do some religious activities. Micah begins his answer by posing a list of possible religious responses in Micah 6:6-7. Lord, do you want extravagant offerings? How about costly gifts? How about my most prized possession? Can I somehow perform my way or buy my way into your favor? God's response is, No, this is not what I want from you. Ultimately, God is not asking something from you, he is wanting something for you. God wants nothing less than the gift of you being conformed into his likeness! God wants us to become like him; a doer of justice, a lover of mercy, who humbly walks with him (Micah 6:8). We see all of these qualities beautifully captured and expressed in Jesus. In the gospels we read over and over again of Jesus doing acts of justice and loving mercy with profound humility! This is what God wants for you. As Dallas Willard used to say, "the main thing the Lord gets from our life is the person we become."

We will continue to explore this rich passage of Scripture in Micah 6:1-8 as we consider what it means to become lovers of mercy. We will also celebrate God's mercy poured out on us as we share in communion together.

May the Lord make us more like Jesus!