Sep 21

The Pharisees of Jesus day boasted of their strict adherence to following the religious regulations they had set up as guidelines for knowing God. It is no different today.

There are plenty of religions in the world today whose whole focus is on observing certain religious practices, such as praying a certain number of times a day, and so forth. Even in the church, there are teachings that emphasize our own efforts to serve God, such as in our offerings of money. This too is nothing new. Amos 4:5 says that the people bragged about their freewill offerings, and then God, in his condemnation of them adds the additional comment, "for this is what you love to do."

Yes, the sinful, prideful human heart does love to do things "for God" supposedly, but those things are really done to make the heart feel good, that it has done something "for God."

Jeremiah 5:31 concurs, for there God says that "my people love it this way." But then, again, he goes on to add a most sobering thought:"But what will you do in the end?"

If only those who pride themselves in what they think they are doing for God would look ahead to God's judgment of their heart, a heart that was never opened to the searching of the Spirit of God, so that God could know them -- if only they would look ahead and hear the words of Jesus to depart because he never knew them, then maybe they would tremble -- and repent and be saved because then they really knew God --and he knew them.

Scripture for today: Amos 4:5; Jeremiah 5:30, 31
Thought for today: It is the heart that matters, my heart for God.
Prayer for today: Touch my heart, Lord, and change it to be wholly consecrated to you.

SEP 21