February 1, 2026 Text: Micah 6:1-8
Dear Friends in Christ,
Many of you may remember the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes. In one strip Calvin gives his mom a card for Mother’s Day. It reads: “I was going to buy you a card with hearts of pink and red, but then I thought I’d rather spend the money on me instead. It’s awfully hard to buy things when one’s allowance is so small, so I guess you’re pretty lucky you got anything at all. Happy Mother’s Day. There, I said it. Now I’m done. So how about getting out of bed and making breakfast for your son?”
Calvin gives the card not out of love but out of obligation. He feels it is duty that he just wants to get done easily and without cost. He has forgotten everything his mom has done for him and the joy of thanking her for that.
Israel was making the same mistake with God. We might also make the same mistake with God. Yes, there are things God commands us to do, but Micah reminds us in our text what God has done for us. We a little assist from Larry the Cable Guy let’s title today’s sermon . . .
“WE WEARY HIM – HE GETS ER DONE”
We fall into Israel’s sin when we think what we do for the Lord is just something we have to get done. The Lord publishes an indictment against Israel. Here are the charges: They weary Him with wicked scales, their lies, their violence, and their idolatries. They give sacrifices but not with thankfulness in their heart. They do it out of obligation. These things meaning nothing to the Lord because Israel sees Him as a God who must be appeased.
Oh, we weary our Lord as well. Do we ever treat worship or Bible study as a box to be checked? Do we hang Christian décor in our house, but our actions are far from the cross or the Bible verse adorning our walls? Do we ever demand that God do this or that instead of just trusting and humbly following Him?
Micah speaks as the voice of conscience to the Everyman: “(The Lord) has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you?” (v. 8a). Yes, there are things the Lord wants us doing for Him. Whether it be Mother’s Day or the Lord’s Day or tomorrow. What is the good to do? Not offerings we invent and give half-heartedly “but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” (v. 8b). We don’t just check boxes to get er done. It comes from a heart that loves. Justice, kindness, and walking humbly with God means being sincere in our worship life and loving service for the Lord.
To do for God is a delight when we remember what He has done for us. Micah reminds the people of God’s acts of love and righteousness. He rescued them from slavery in Egypt. He gave them faithful leaders like Moses and Aaron and Miriam. He delivered them from Balak’s schemes.
These all foreshadow what God has done for us and the whole world – sending Jesus. Jesus came to do. Jesus came to get er done for us. He provided the justice. He modeled loving kindness. He walked with God. He did the good we could not do. He did it buy living and loving, by suffering, dying, rising, ascending. Why talk about what God has done for us? Because this is how God changes hearts.
When we remember what God has done, we want to do justice for our neighbor. We delight in being to kind to the brothers and sisters of the faith – and to those not yet in the Lord’s Kingdom. We love walking humbly with Him.
The Lord has given us a ready-made illustration. Monday when I did my daily tour of the building, a sprinkler head leak was discovered. We had water on two floors. One of my first calls was to a member to activate the emergency contact list. We also sent out an e-mail. Within twenty minutes we had around 10-12 people sopping up water, having it drip on their heads, picking up wet ceiling tiles, mopping, trying to save what could be saved. Nobody thought about lunch or convenience. The Lord allowed us to stay focused and finish the task. By the end of the day, things were starting to dry, the insurance agent had been here, and the restoration company contacted.
The Holy Spirit allowed us to get er done. Nobody thought about “what is in it for me”. Nobody was checking a box that the Lord provide something the next day for them. No pay was involved. They were motivated by a love for their Lord and His Church.
God has done it all for us. We then can love and delight in what is good for Him and for our neighbor. We can walk with Him.
Amen.