He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you. But to do justice, to love kindness.
And to walk humbly with your God? -Micah 6:8 NASB
The Hebrew word חָ֫סֶד (checed) is translated here as kindness. In other versions it is rendered mercy, faithfulness or goodness. Each of these words communicate an aspect of life to be cherished. Who has not been the recipient of mercy? Have we not all been witnesses to extravagant acts of kindness. Are these not reflective of God's goodness?
When I think about the word I am drawn to memories of my father. He was a kind man. He was merciful in his actions and in his speech. He seemed to have a desire to always speak well of others. Perhaps this is where we all stumble in our quest to be kind. It is so easy to see the faults in others and in ourselves. It is an act of kindness to overlook them.
Teach us to walk the path of kindness Lord. Help us to see others as you see them. With mercy and compassion.
... this devotion is part of an ongoing series on words in the bible.
Kindness is mercy and it is good, but it is interesting to say that it is faithfulness. How do you think kindness is faithfulness?
ReplyDeleteGood question Pearlie. My thoughts came from the mean of the Hebrew word checed. Depending on the version, it is can be translated kindness, mercy, faithfulness or goodness. I think that faithfulness and kindness are both images of what it means to love like God.
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