The Lord is more pleased when we do what is right and just than when we offer him sacrifices. ~ Proverbs 21:3 (NLT)
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Formalities are the stuff that black tie affairs are made of. Ceremonies become grand displays of pomp and circumstance. Everything is scripted to meet the formal criteria of the event. Weddings, graduations, and coronations all have their rituals.
How about our worship of God? How ritualized is our time in His house? Are we more concerned with pomp than personal devotion? Does the condition of our heart get overshadowed by our "sacrifice" of showing up and going through the scripted motions?
God wants our hearts. He wants them to be like His. He frankly couldn't give a hoot if we have bulletins or not, if we start on time and end on time, if we sing two songs or twenty. He is looking for worshipers who have given Him everything -- the sacrifice of their heart, to do and be like Him. Right and just.
The greatest sacrifice you want is a broken spirit. God, you will gladly accept a heart that is broken because of sadness over sin. ~ Psalm 51:17 (NIrV)
You may feel that because you pray before meals, go to church once a week, and put a $20 bill in the offering plate as it passes by, you are giving of yourself to God. I challenge you to dig deeper, and get at the heart of the matter -- what is on the inside of you. Forget pomp and circumstance, forget ritual. Get real with God and allow Him rights to your heart and mind -- let Him transform you from a ritualist to a realist. Then your life as a whole will become your sacrifice -- righteousness and justice in how you live will be your offering to the Lord, instead of a once-a-week nod to God.
He is worthy of our heart. May we give it to Him fully.
Love,
Joelene
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