“No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”
–Micah 6:8 (NLT)

Have you ever been looking for employment, only to feel like you’re hitting a brick wall? Well, that’s how I felt on my post-seminary job hunt. It seemed that no matter how hard I searched for work, the doors of opportunity kept slamming shut in my face. I remember feeling frustrated and upset as I tried to do things in my own strength. Don’t get me wrong–I prayed that God would help me find work. But since I am a person who is blind, I thought I had to fight all of my battles alone.

Finally, with my tail between my legs, I went to a group called Jobs for the Handicapped, or JFH. In spite of all my seminary training and hopeful job-searching, they gave me a job in telemarketing, which did not match up with my dream job at all.

As you can probably imagine, I was quite depressed, but since I had to pay the bills somehow, I walked in for my interview. While I got the job, I soon discovered that their products weren’t as good as they claimed, so I didn’t stay with them very long.

I can see now that God used that job and similar situations to humble me, since I needed to unlearn a lot of things. I didn’t realize then that I was far from being a minister in the biblical sense of the word. A true minister is not a know-it-all with diplomas on the walls. He is nothing more than a servant who points others to the King of Kings. As this realization has grown within me, I have learned that all of us are often blind to God’s loving hand. Only when we look to His word can the light of the world guide us.

With this in mind, instead of looking back to JFH, I would like us to meditate on the letters JMH. The three characteristics that God emphasizes in our opening verse are Justice, Mercy and Humility.
The first two concepts cannot be studied separately, as the fulfillment of the Father’s justice and mercy are both seen on the cross. The vertical arm of the cross is the first part of a bridge between God and man. Here God’s holiness and purity are contrasted with the needs of our sinful world. God’s justice and mercy were both reconciled when God sent His sinless son.

The mercy and justice we have received are bound together by cords of humility. This humility was seen as Christ walked among us, willingly laying down his life and rising again in a new living form. The horizontal arm of the cross, therefore, reaches out to embrace us, telling us that the price for our sins has been paid in full. It shows us that God’s love has been extended to all of us. This, in turn, can only humble us.

As we think about the magnitude of what Christ has done for us, we need to let the humility which He modeled transform us. We need to cultivate a new spirit of true humbleness as we walk with Him. Ask Christ to let you decrease in self-importance, allowing others to have the limelight. If you will show mercy and humility, and God has promised that He will exalt you in due time. So if you know Christ, let His peace and joy rule in your heart, and reach out to your neighbor in order to share His love.

Thank you for reading this, and may the Lord give you a wonderful week! We are trying to reach people who are hurting, so if God lays it on your heart, please consider becoming a partner with us. If you would like to make a donation, please visit www.hcmachaplains.org and click on the Donate Now link. You can also send donations by mail to HCMA (Healthcare Chaplains Ministry Association). Our ID number is 560. The address is 377 E. Chapman Ave., Suite 260, Placentia, CA 92870. Finally, check out our online store at www.amway.com/burdicksbargains. In order to support us, please register for free on our store website before purchasing anything. Thank you!

If you have questions, comments or prayer requests for Timothy or Stephanie Burdick, please call 641-715-3900, ext. 874157.