Editor’s note: “The Spoken Word” is shared by Lloyd Newell each Sunday during the weekly Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square broadcast. This will be given Sunday, March 19, 2023.

The scriptures give wise and loving counsel for all kinds of situations we might face in life. Even so, when those situations get to be particularly thorny or complex, we naturally worry about doing the wrong thing. We might ask, “What does God want me to do?”

Long ago, the Old Testament prophet Micah offered a clear and simple answer, “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).

These three principles — be just, love mercy and walk in humility with God — are like a road map that can lead us toward peace, happiness and harmonious relationships. Think how our lives and the lives of others would change with more fairness, mercy and humility.

Recently, a family had their hearts broken by one of their own. Trust was shattered, and feelings were hurt — and sadly, it wasn’t the first time. They felt helpless and hopeless. How should they move forward? They found that those three biblical principles — justice, mercy and humility — showed the way.

They turned to the Lord in humility and sought His peace and larger perspective. In justice and fairness to themselves, they carefully set boundaries and took precautions to protect themselves. But they did so with merciful hearts, not with the intent to punish or retaliate. They humbly sought to walk with God, to do what they felt He would want them to do.

In all their efforts, they were inspired by the words of a favorite hymn of the Tabernacle Choir:

“Let us all press on in the work of the Lord,
“That when life is o’er we may gain a reward. …
“An unseen pow’r will aid me and you. …
“If we do what’s right we have no need to fear,
“For the Lord, our helper, will ever be near.”
(See “Let Us All Press On,” Hymns, no. 243.)

We may not always get everything right as we try to balance justice, mercy and humility. But we can press on, confident in help from above and reassured by the promise that God will be with us as we do our best to do what’s right.

Tuning in …

The “Music & the Spoken Word” broadcast is available on KSL-TV, KSL Radio 1160AM/102.7FM, KSL.com, BYUtv, BYUradio, Dish and DirectTV, SiriusXM Radio (Ch. 143), the tabernaclechoir.org, youtube.com/TheTabernacleChoir and Amazon Alexa (must enable skill). The program is aired live on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. on many of these outlets. Look up broadcast information by state and city at musicandthespokenword.com/viewers-listeners/airing-schedules.