The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Amos 4:4-5,
"'Go to Bethel and sin; go to Gilgal and sin yet more. Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three years. Burn leavened bread as a thank offering and brag about your freewill offerings— boast about them, you Israelites, for this is what you love to do,' declares the Sovereign Lord."
After calling the self-indulgent women of Israel, "you cows of Bashan", the Lord observes their proclivity to sin and then engage in religious activity. In essence, he tells them to keep it up because he is now bringing his full wrath of judgment against them. They will be taken way with fishhooks and cast out as Israel is destroyed in his anger.
The Lord's disgust at the inconsistent religious practices of mankind is apparent throughout the Scriptures. In contrition following his upbraiding by Nathan who confronted him in his sin, David spoke these words, "You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." Psalm 51:16-17. It is our hearts the Lord desires, and hearts that pursue the pleasures of sin while attempting to mask it in religion incurs his anger.
As it is written in Isaiah, "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.'" I am reminded the Lord is far more interested in my devotion to him Monday through Saturday than he is of my worship of him on Sunday. You see, it is that Monday through Saturday life I live that reveals the desires of my heart, no matter what I might do on Sunday. After all, if the Lord is not worthy of the desires of my heart Monday through Saturday, then any expression I might make on Sunday is empty. How could it possibly be otherwise?
"To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen." Jude 24-25. That "now" ought to be today!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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