I began reading Isaiah today, and to be honest I haven't read this book in a while. I was reminded of how brilliant it is.
Anyway, the verses that really spoke to me were these, "The multitude of your sacrifices - what are they to me?" says the LORD. "I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats."
This is a really famous verse in chapter 1, and I think its as relevant today as it was all those years ago when it was written.
What is your heart like? How do you come before the LORD? Do you come with gladness? Do you come with fear and trembling? Do you come with a humble and contrite heart? OR Do you come before the Lord of all with complacency? Do you come before the King of kings as a tradition? Do you come before the Creator of the Universe just because that's what you have always done?
We need to realise that when we come to Jesus, we are entering the presence of Almighty God. He wants our whole hearts not just a quick hello and goodbye.
The Jewish people in this passage were just living their lives as they wanted and bringing their sacrifices with no feeling of regret or remorse, just out of tradition. God wanted their hearts, He wanted to be in their lives, not just a quick sacrifice and back to whatever.
We need to make sure that when we repent, we actually do repent. We need to ask the Holy Spirit to help us with our failings to ensure that we have a right heart before the Lord. Let's not be a people of tradition. Let's be people that seek the Lord and come before Him with a right heart.
I haven't done my blogg for a few weeks and to be honest I think it's done me some good. The reason for not doing it was originally because I was unwell, and so unable to complete my daily thoughts. But as I regained my strength and started to feel better I still didn't start writing.
I felt that God was telling me that even though this is a good thing, if it becomes about doing it and not glorifying Him then it's not the right thing to do.
I want everything I do to point to Jesus. I don't want to do things because they make me feel good, or because others like it - I want to do what God has called me to do.
I decided today to write something about this instead of writing about my bible study. It's not about what we do - it's about the heart we have when we do it. I will continue to do my blogg, but I really feel that it has to be about glorifying Jesus and not just about completing another thought process.
Everything we do as Christians MUST be about Him. It's not what we want, what we think or even what we think might be the right thing to do - it's about listening to the Holy Spirit and asking Him to guide us, to strengthen us, and to make our lives about Glorifying the one who was and is and is to come.
Let's make sure that we glorify Jesus today, let's not do things because of the feel good factor or because we've always done it. Let's live lives that make a difference and give the glory to the Name above all other names - Jesus.
Lord use me today for your glory - help me be an asset to your team.
Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven - Matthew 5:16
