In this advent season, I need to ask, “Are you ready?” A friend used to tell me, “If you stay ready, you never have to get ready.” How do we get ready to meet God? We know we need to get ready for work, interviews, and meetings. How do we prepare to worship God?
Micah envisioned a ruler coming from Bethlehem. This shepherd would offer peace to God’s people. As Micah recounts all that God has done for his people, he asks the question, “With what shall I come before the Lord?” Some in Micah’s day might have answered, “Bring an offering. You need to bring animals and oil.” But Micah knew better. No physical gift, even if it were thousands of rams or ten thousand rivers of olive oil would be sufficient to repay God for all he had done. What if he gave up his firstborn as an offering like the pagans did?
We are not in the dark about what God wants from his people. He showed his people what he wanted: act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God. My father-in-law Jim Freeman lived this kind of life. He did the right thing every time, showed compassion to people in need, and quietly walked closely to the Lord every day. Not knowing when he would meet the Lord, he stayed ready. So, he never had to get ready.
