Last week we discussed serving the LORD, not just with words, but with actions; based on His Word and will.
This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me; in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.
Mark 7:6b,7
This week has a similar message.
In our reading from Mark, Jesus chastises the Pharisees who were placing their traditions and rules over those of God’s. He quotes from Isaiah, showing the issue to be an old and oft-repeated one.
One thing that is not said, however (but often implied), is that Jesus doesn’t tell the people to ignore honoring Him with their lips. He wanted to make sure they know that their hearts were more important.
When God has our hearts, our lips of praise will follow!
We should always be away of doing something just because of tradition, or expediency, or desire. How do our actions reflect our hearts and draw us closer to Him? How can our lips better express our love and praise of God because our hearts love and service Him at their very core? How can we better honor God with our lips because, through faith and forgiveness, He already has our heart forever?
If we truly know the heart of God for us, reflected in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, how can we not want Him, with every fiber of our being, to have our hearts and lips of praise in everything?!
“Lord Jesus, we praise and thank You for Your salvation through death and resurrection. We lift You up in praise and thanksgiving with our hearts and lips – always! Amen!”
Scriptures
- Mark 7:1-13
