Isaiah 27-32
It’s easy to go through the motions of worship. In fact, it seems to me that we sometimes reduce worship to nothing more than what we’ve already outlined in our church’s worship bulletin: we go through the order, step-by-step, moving from beginning to end within about an hour in order to move to the next thing to do in the day. I realize that characterization might be too strong in many cases, but it’s worth the reminder that God looks at our hearts more than He looks at our religious rituals.
Here’s what we read the Lord saying in today’s reading: “The Lord said: ‘These people approach me with their speeches to honor me with lip-service, yet their hearts are far from me, and human rules direct their worship of me’” (Isa 29:13). As one writer described the people, they “come near to God during their temple worship with flowery words of external praise, but the real status of their heart’s trust and love of God was very different.”* Jesus, in fact, saw this same pattern in the Pharisees of His day (Matt 15:8-9).
May He see something different in you and me today.
RESPONSE: Honor God with more than your lip service today.
*Smith, G. V. (2007). Isaiah 1–39 (E. R. Clendenen, Ed.; p. 500). B & H Publishing Group.
