Contemplative Bible Reading

Isaiah 29:13 (New Living Translation)

And so the Lord says,
“These people say they are mine.
They honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
And their worship of me
is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.

rote: noun – mechanical or habitual repetition of something to be learned.

God’s people worshiped Him. At least they thought they were worshiping. Through the prophet, God declared their worship noting more than a mechanical or habitual repetition.

The people had lost:

• We are the highest creation of the great creator (Wow! What a position of glory!)
• Glorifying God with our voices
• Cherishing God in the Hearts that God gave to us alone

The people had traded those for, and I am mechanically repeating myself here, a mechanical or habitual repetition.

This is not yet another woeful rendition of, “I don’t like church because it is the same old people, doing the same old things, the same old way, again and again.” I have experienced church where the same old people did the same old thing the same old way each week and fell to their knees in tears while doing it. There was a repetition, but it was heartfelt glorifying of God.

God is cautioning us. God knows our hearts and can see past the surface of “Wow, this is exciting. We have never done it this way before,” to what motivates and drives us.

Please God. Help me to worship in spirit and truth from a heart that is close to you.