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- Oct 26, 2007
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These people draw near Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts hold off and are far away from Me. Matthew 15:8 AMPC
The evidence had been weighed, decisions were made, and the outward response looked pretty good. God had shown up in the thinking of the Jewish religious leaders, and they treated rule keeping as their primary duty.
God knew their hearts, and He knew that their response was intellectual, not the response of a grateful heart. They changed what they did without really knowing the who and why behind their adopted mask. These religious leaders did not have a change of heart. They refused to love others because they were more interested in finding fault. They assumed that just doing the right thing made them right with God. But God wanted their hearts so He could change more than behaviors.
You were made to be more than a good person. You were made to get close enough to God to learn how He leads and what He will do through a man like you, one willing to surrender personal ambition to invest in a relationship with Him.
Prayer: The choice is mine, Father. I can follow You or I can make it seem like I’m following You. I will be satisfied if I can follow instead of pretending. Help my mind and heart to stay in sync and make the wise choice to really journey with You.
The evidence had been weighed, decisions were made, and the outward response looked pretty good. God had shown up in the thinking of the Jewish religious leaders, and they treated rule keeping as their primary duty.
God knew their hearts, and He knew that their response was intellectual, not the response of a grateful heart. They changed what they did without really knowing the who and why behind their adopted mask. These religious leaders did not have a change of heart. They refused to love others because they were more interested in finding fault. They assumed that just doing the right thing made them right with God. But God wanted their hearts so He could change more than behaviors.
You were made to be more than a good person. You were made to get close enough to God to learn how He leads and what He will do through a man like you, one willing to surrender personal ambition to invest in a relationship with Him.
Prayer: The choice is mine, Father. I can follow You or I can make it seem like I’m following You. I will be satisfied if I can follow instead of pretending. Help my mind and heart to stay in sync and make the wise choice to really journey with You.
