"The Lord says: 'These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.'" Isaiah 29:13, NIV
What sobering scriptures.
1. THE PROBLEM WITH LIP-SERVICE:
"These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me"
These verses remind us that just because we SAY we love, praise, honor, revere Him doesn't mean that we actually do. Just SAYING it or singing it or proclaiming it does not mean that our hearts are "right" with God--or that He receives or accepts our worship. What a disturbing thought! Because how many of the people this passage is directed to think it is enough to just SAY it? How many of the people think they are in right standing when, in fact, they are not? What a dangerous place to be, spiritually!
I think of people who say they will be there for you, that they've "got your back," and when it comes down to it, they aren't there when you need them. I think of times when people said one thing and did another, proclaimed one thing and proved to be something else. This is what Jesus is discussing here. How frustrating it is to discover the person you thought was a friend was actually just pretending to be! And how said to "pretend" to be a friend of God when, in fact, you are not. God knows our hearts.
"Their hearts are far from me." Not nearby. Far from Him. Distant. Not even close. How frightening that you could frequent the house of God, sing and speak about being connected--but not be.
Introspection: Where is my heart this evening? Right now--as opposed to yesterday or yesteryear? Have I withdrawn myself from His presence in some way? God forbid. Do I rely on rituals in my faith, instead of a daily relationship? Do I follow the crowd instead of seek His face, personally?
2. CULTURE and MAN-MADE WORSHIP:
"Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught."
Worship is about Him, not us. I hope we never forget that! Else, we may be guilty of what the prophet records: our dependance on a worthless, powerless cultural/man-made worship that we have been taught. Do we KNOW why we do the things we do? Believe the things we believe? Do we mindlessly copy what is being said and done around us? Or do we have a PERSONAL relationship and revelation that steers what we do and say? Is my worship cultural? Taught and copied, generation after generation? Or is it real, heartfelt? Is it received by the Creator?
I think of how dangerous it is just to teach people "rules" or "legalism" and not explain the WHY's of it, according to the Word of God (as opposed to the word of men). I think of people who are discipled to MIMIC others instead of Follow Christ. I think of how important it is not to ONLY teach recitation, but the meaning behind it, and the need to persistently fight "rote" recitation and keep the recitation "fresh" and pure.
Introspection: Am I engaging in cultural or man-made worship? If so, Lord, please reveal it to me. Is there worship I'm engaging in that pleases ME (or us) more than GOD ALMIGHTY? Is my focus on Him and Him alone--as it should be? Do I know why I do/say/believe the things I do/say/believe? I want my worship of my Heavenly Father to be genuine and real.
Prayer: Help me, Lord, to please Your heart. Help me to stay in your Presence. Help me not to rely on recitation, the words of others, the patterns of others, but help me to be REAL, in every way that matters to You and Your Kingdom. Thank You for challenging me tonight, Lord. I am humbled at this reminder. Help me to be found pleasing in Your sight, always and forever. xoxo
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