Man Rules vs. Heart Rules

By what rules do you worship God?

Man rules say go to church and be friendly, be courteous most of the time, pray some, and read your Bible a little bit sometime during the week. After all, if you do these things you will be more religious than most people. God should reward your effort.

So what kind of worship does really God want?

“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 made up only of rules taught by men.’” Isaiah 29:13 NIV

Sounds like God could care less about if we are more religious than most people. As a matter of fact, he does not even desire our religious activities. He wants us—our hearts.

“You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘He did not make me’? Can the pot say of the potter, ‘He knows nothing’?” Isaiah 29:16 NIV

By following the guidelines set out by society and thinking we have worshipped good enough, we are actually telling God what we will do and how we will do it. HOW DARE WE? God made us! We do not have a right to tell him how we will do anything! Instead we should be on our faces confessing our arrogant sin!

"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy…the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Exodus 20:8, 11b NIV

To be holy means to be set apart. Let’s set apart one day a week to focus on God and not ourselves.

Lord, forgive my arrogance. Show me how you want me to worship you today.