“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?”-Micah 6:8

Well-known British preacher C.H. Spurgeon once commented on the way a Christian ought to live, “A man’s life is always more forcible than his speech. When men take stock of him they reckon his deeds as dollars and his words as pennies. If his life and doctrine disagree the mass of onlookers accept his practice and reject his preaching.”  —–

Dr. Paul Chappell writes:

“First, God commands us to do justly. Justice has been described as “the quality of being just; righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness.” God desires that we practice righteousness and moral rightness in our everyday life.

What good is a godly example at church if we are not daily living by the commands of God’s Word? Too many times Christians learn to “put on the show” at church. They look, act, and speak correctly when around others, but when they go home Sunday night or enter the workplace Monday morning, they leave their godly character at church. God doesn’t command us to act justly on Sundays and Wednesdays. He commands us to obey Him every day. Only as we are consistently walking with God each day will our example point others to God.

Second, God commands us to love mercy. Mercy is giving/receiving something that is unwarranted or undeserved. Think of this in your life. Was there ever a time you were given something you didn’t deserve? What about salvation? None of us deserve forgiveness and eternal life, yet God freely gave it to us.

While mercy is something we all enjoy experiencing, how often do we practice it? We are ready and willing to accept mercy, but how willing are we to give mercy? The next time someone treats you unfairly or upsets you, remember mercy. Remember the Cross and the undeserved favor Christ showed you. Practice mercy by forgiving others when you are wronged.

Last, God also commands us to walk humbly with Him. Alone we cannot sustain a godly example. Temptation will arise; trials will come; frustrations will mount; and we will slip in our godly examples from time to time. But as we daily walk with God through prayer and Bible reading, God will give us the strength to live righteously and get back on track when we falter.

God gives the three-step pattern to how to maintain a godly example—live righteously, practice mercy, and walk with Him. Are you following those steps? If not, commit to applying them to your life today. Take the first step right now of seeking God’s help to help you become a better example of Him each day. “

Ask any Christian,”What’s the best thing that has ever happened to you?” and they will quickly reply “Salvation”. Man’s greatest need is to receive Christ as Lord and Savior. Man’s greatest blessing is to do so. But this never happens until he first sees himself as a sinner. That is the first step to his best step. Until a person sees himself as a poor, wicked, wretched, vile, miserable, helpless sinner he will not turn to Christ. He must see the mess he is in before he will see his need for God’s mercy. Salvation comes only after we see ourselves as a sinner.

However, even after we are saved we are still troubled by sin–and we still struggle in admitting it. You can attribute that to pride. I know of no other explanation. We think too highly of ourselves and we want others to have exalted views of us also. So, wanting to put ourselves in the best possible light we refuse to be honest about our condition. That, of course, hinders us in numerous ways.

Seeing yourself as you really are, as God sees you, is crucial to becoming the person God wants you to be. In other words, you will never be as good as you could be until you realize that you’re not as good as you should be. To become the person we ought to be we must become dissatisfied with what we are. Don’t let pride hold you back. Why would you want to be anything less than your best?

Those on the road to ruin need to realize where they’re at so they can see the need to turn around–to repent. The only thing holding some people back from becoming the person they want to be is their refusal to admit what kind of person they are. When we see ourselves as guilty sinners in need of forgiveness we then see our need of God. When we come to Him for the forgiveness of sins, trusting Christ as our Savior, we have taken the best step of our lives!

It is a step that leads to forgiveness, eternal life, peace, joy and a transformation of character. We become “a new creature” (2 Cor. 5:17), and we start a new journey that provides the satisfaction that nothing else can bring. And it all started because you took the first step to your best step! What are you waiting for?

“But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.”–Job 23:10

We often find ourselves in situations we don’t understand and we don’t know what to do or which way to turn. But God knows all about it. He has a plan for it and the power to make it happen. I was reminded of this when I read this story by Pastor Paul Chappell:

A missionary couple once brought some African pastors to the Unites States for a big meeting. During their free time, these pastors wanted to go shopping. Even though they were in a small town, the missionary knew there was a chance one of them might have some difficulty finding their way around or get lost. So the missionary gave each pastor his phone number in case of an emergency. In less than an hour the missionary’s phone rang and one of the pastors said, “I am lost.”

The missionary replied, “Lay the phone down, go to the street corner, find out the names of the two streets, and come back and tell me.” In a few minutes the African pastor returned and reported, “I am at the corner of ‘Walk’ and ‘Don’t Walk.'”

The trials of life sometimes make us feel lost and unstable—we feel directionless and don’t know which way to turn. Sometimes it even seems that there are no good options. But God often allows trials in our lives so we will lean on Him and experience stability through His strength.

The worst thing that could happen to us would be not to have any difficulties—we’d never know our need of the Lord. God allows enough difficulty to bring us to Him, but then, God gives us enough grace to meet those difficulties—every day.

Are you struggling in a trial? Perhaps a trial you are facing is making you feel unsure and unstable. God will give sufficient grace for every difficulty you face. Each day He gives us enough difficulty to draw us to Him, and then, God gives us enough grace to live that day as we ought. Rely on the strength of God, trust His love and goodness, and experience His marvelous grace.

God knows. God cares. God can help. His way is right, best and safest! Call upon Him right now!

…knowing in yourselves that ye have in Heaven a better and an enduring substance.   (Hebrews 10:34).

This is well. Our substance here is very unsubstantial; there is no substance in it. But God has given us a promise of real estate in the gloryland, and that promise comes to our hearts with such full assurance of its certainty that we know in ourselves that we have an enduring substance there. Yes, “we have” it even now. They say, “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush,” but we have our bird in the bush and in the hand, too. Heaven is even now our own. We have the title deed of it, we have the earnest of it, we have the firstfruits of it. We have heaven in price, in promise, and in principle; this we know not only by the hearing of the ear but “in ourselves.”

Should not the thought of the better substance on the other side of Jordan reconcile us to present losses? Our spending money we may lose, but our treasure is safe. We have lost the shadows, but the substance remains, for our Savior lives, and the place which He has prepared for us abides. There is a better land, a better substance, a better promise; and all this comes to us by a better covenant; wherefore, let us be in better spirits, and say unto the LORD, “Every day will I bless thee; and praise thy name for ever and ever.”–Faith’s Checkbook, by C.H. Spurgeon