The older I get, the more I realize that most of us know what to do, we are just not so good with follow through and actually doing what we know. It’s really not a difficult thing to figure out what is really important in this life. We know the basic difference between what is right and what is wrong. The challenge comes in our doing what is right and not doing what is wrong. The guidelines that God gives us in the scriptures are given to help us, not hurt us.

The secret to a blessed life is not just knowing what to do, but actually making sure we are doing what we know. We don’t have to know everything, because the truth is we know more than enough to keep us busy with just what we do know.

The best growth in life is growth that takes place as we learn. God does not expect perfection, He is looking for growth through our learning as we live. The fact that He gave us Jesus to do for us, what we could not do for ourselves is evidence of so much more than just His love. While God is not looking for our perfection, He is looking for our obedience and a willingness on our part to learn and grow. This is why the Scriptures are so important, because they teach us, guide us and correct our thinking and actions.

In our Scriptures in the book of Micah in chapter 6, verse 8, we find some very practical instruction that helps us to live the life of blessing we were created for. Let’s take a look at this amazing verse and allow it to grow us today…

“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

The Micah Mandate is found in three very simple, but powerful commands: Act right, love mercy and walk humbly with God. Let’s take a few moments to consider each one and how we might better put them into practice in our life and living.

ACT RIGHT! There is a right way and a wrong way to act, do and be. To act justly is to act the way that God would act. Several years ago, everyone started wearing the “W.W.J.D?” bracelets to remind themselves to ask and answer the question: “What Would Jesus Do?” It’s a great idea as long as we ask and answer the question and then allow the answer to impact our follow through. We know what to do, the challenge is to do it. A great encouragement and help here is the Golden Rule: “Do unto others, as you would have the do unto you.” If we would just do what we know, it would make life so much better.

LOVE MERCY! To truly love mercy, we must first open our heart, mind and life to receive mercy, because we cannot give to anyone else what we do not possess and have not experienced for ourselves. The greatest evidence that we have received mercy is that we are sharing it with others. Remember: Grace is getting what you don’t deserve and mercy is not getting what you deserve…

WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD! I am nothing without my Creator. Anything I do good, is all God and anything I do bad is all me. When I get out of God’s way, He flows into and through my life in amazing and incredible ways. He does not force His way in, but waits for my invitation, which I can’t wait to give to Him when I am living in the humility that “I am nothing and can do nothing” of any significance without Him.

The Micah Mandate teaches us that with three simple steps, we can open up the floodgates of Heaven for the supernatural blessings of our Creator to flow into, through and all around our life. I challenge you to think about how you can act right, love mercy and walk humbly…

We live in a crazy world. A world where we spend most of our days running around trying to get as much accomplished as possible. And often the end result is that we wear ourselves out and make ourselves crazy chasing after a goal we can never seem to catch.

Why is the goal so elusive? We have to ask ourselves: “Do we really even know what the goal is?” If we are honest, the goal seems to change from day to day. And to be really honest, many of us are running, just to be running with no clear goal in sight. We are just running because it seems to be what everyone else is doing.

There has to be a better way! Would you admit that there are some things in your life that need to change? Maybe, rather than focusing on a successful day, we should simply seek to follow the example of our Creator??? The Scriptures teach us that God is love. This carries forward the idea that focus is not so much on what you do, but on who you are. Stop and let her sink in…

The Scriptures also teach that we are created in God’s image, which means that we have the amazing ability to do it God’s way. We must ask ourselves: “Is there a better way than God’s way?” “Is there a better way than love?” And the answer is ”no”. We simply need to learn to walk/live in the way of love. And the good news is this: All through out the Scriptures, Jesus gives us the perfect example to follow. He didn’t fight it, he embraced it. He was love and so he did love…

The key that unlocks blessings to flow is love! In Ephesians 5:1-2 we read these words: ”1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” In other words: Open your heart, soul, life, mind, body and spirit to receive God’s unlimited and unconditional love. (LET GOD LOVE YOU!) Allow yourself to be loved by God, because you cannot give to anyone else what you don’t possess for yourself.

I like to call this sharing of love – letting the love flow. When you let the love flow and grow, I promise you that your life will become amazing, blessed and miraculous. Now let’s make this real in our life and living: What are three ways you will allow yourself to receive God’s love and what are three ways you will share the love you have received? Live in the flow of God’s love and get ready for miracles and blessings…

There are approximately 4,071,000 miles of roads in the United States, 2,678,000 miles  paved and 1,394,000 miles unpaved. Many of those paved roads are filled with potholes, but that’s another conversation for another time. I want to take a moment to think about those unpaved roads…

I grew up in an area that had just about as many unpaved roads as it did paved roads and one of the things that I learned early in life is that those unpaved roads can take you to some very interesting places. When I was younger, my mode of transportation was two wheels plus my legs and feet on a bicycle, peddling just as fast as I could. Now a days, it’s an ole 2006 Dodge Ram Pickup.

Not too long back, I was out on an adventure and I came up on an unpaved road. It was rocky and rough. I thought of “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost and turned right and headed for was I was hoping was adventure. I bumped and bounced my way up and down, from side to side through the hills and curves, until I came to a place where a little creek was running across the road. I drive a Dodge, so I headed straight on across that little, not worried one little bit, because I was created for adventure (wink). More bumps, bouncing, ups, downs, side to sides, hills and curves until eventually the road ran out. Really! It just stopped and there was nothing but woods.

I surveyed the situation a little closer and saw a trail disappearing into the woods and decided to get out and go for a walk. After a short little hike, I could hear water and of course got very excited and journeyed on. And then just around the corner, I found it – a beautiful waterfall. The water was cascading over the rocks and into a nice little, very relaxing looking pool. The sun was beginning to go down and was at just the right angle to hit the cascading falls and provide that magical effect that makes your jaw drop and your mouth say “WOW!”

I sat on a nearby large rock and soaked in all the beauty I was surrounded by. I allowed all my senses to take in the moment. It was one of those moments. You know a moment where thoughts align, life makes sense and you are at peace. It was very nice and I will remember the moment for the rest of my life.

Now here is the most interesting thing: I would have totally missed the adventure of that amazing moment, if I had not turned onto that rocky road. In life, we are presented with many moments of choice. Moments of choice where we have to decide what we are going to do. Sometimes we don’t have a choice and just have to go with the flow. Don’t be afraid of the rocky road that life brings your way. Embrace them, enjoy them, learn from them and get the adventure they have in store for you. Robert Frost probably said it best when he said: “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I — I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.”