How Can I Please the Lord?

Recently, I have pondered one of my favorite Old Testament scriptures, Micah 6:8:

“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?”

I first discovered this scripture as a missionary in Portugal. An excellent missionary, Elder Jason Smith, shared it with me and it has been with me ever since. The beauty of Micah’s words, to me, is found in their simplicity. In the preceding verses (6-7), he rhetorically asks the question “What can I do to please God?” He wonders if offerings of calves and rams, or ten thousands rivers of oil will please him. Or, what if he gave his firstborn—would that be enough? And then, in verse 8, he gives the answer to the question: HOW CAN I PLEASE THE LORD? His answer is threefold:

1) Do justly
2) Love mercy
3) Walk humbly with Him.

While there are several ways to liken this scripture unto us (see 1 Nephi 19:23), the heart of Micah’s counsel is summarized, for me, with three corresponding scriptures:

1) John 14:15—“If you love me, keep my commandments.” If we truly love the Lord, we will be obedient. We will do right by Him.
2) 1 Nephi 1:20—“…the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom He hath chosen....” There are at least two ways to “love mercy,” 1) We can love that we receive mercy (which is easy for most of us to do), and 2) we can learn to love to SHOW mercy to others (something that requires much greater effort).
3) Moses 7:69—“And Enoch and all his people walked with God….” I know that it is possible to walk with God. Only a humble person would choose to walk with Him. And, walking with Him helps us to remain humble!

I am grateful beyond words for the scriptures. With all my heart, I love them. We are blessed to have them in our lives! I invite you to join me in daily seeking to follow the counsel of Micah. I know the Lord lives and that He loves us. Let’s please and praise Him every day!