He has shown thee, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of thee, 

but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.

Micah 6:8, KJV

I love Calvin and Hobbes. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this cartoon, it is about a six-year-old boy named Calvin and his pet (pretend) tiger named Hobbes. I think the reason that I like it so much is that it reminds me of my own childhood, when things were a lot sweeter, and a whole lot simpler.

One of my favorites is where Calvin and Hobbes see a falling star and make a wish. Calvin reveals that his wish was something along the lines of absolute power in which he pretty much dominates the world. Hobbes, on the other hand, wishes for a sandwich. Upon hearing of his friend's request, Calvin derides him without mercy for being so stupid as to waste a wish on something so small and seemingly insignificant. The next frame shows Hobbes munching contentedly on a sandwich while Calvin just glowers at him with disgust. Hobbes then caps it off with the perfect line, "I got what I wished for".

Now, this is not a lesson on having low expectations in an attempt to never be let down; rather, it is an observation on how having simple desires and enjoying simple pleasures can lead to a whole lot more contentment than can having unrealistic demands on life as to what will make you happy.

I think that's partly the point of the verse above. While Micah does not specifically mention happiness or contentment, he does reveal what will please God, and we all know from experience that we are typically the most satisfied with life when we are putting God first and doing our best to do His will. The verse that precedes the one above asks the question, "what will the LORD be pleased with?" Will it be the offering of thousands of animals or ten thousand rivers of oil? Will it be the extreme of offering up our firstborn child in order to save our soul? No, the conclusion is far more simple and much more practical.

He just expects us to be decent to one another! He wants us to appreciate justice that is tempered with mercy, and He wants us to live in a simple manner of walking in His ways. He does this for several reasons (no doubt bigger reasons than I can fully grasp) but I believe the main two are so that we can help others in this life by treating them in the right way, and so that we can please God by walking in the path He has laid out. By doing these profound but simple things, God knows that it will result in our being much happier and content.

And, though this might just seem too simple for some, it really works. And, like the wise friend of Calvin realized in a child's cartoon, such a simple life will allow us to enjoy all that God has for us because we will end up getting what we wanted: A simple life that is pleasing to God and that is filled with joy and contentment for us!