Life Song

Scripture

These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away. Their worship is a farce, for they replace God's commands with their own man-made teachings. For you ignore God's specific laws and substitute your own traditions. Mark 7:7-8

Observation

In this passage the high and mighty Pharisees and teachers of religious law do their best to nail Jesus and his disciples for lack of discretion and abeyance to the ceremonial laws. As usual Jesus reveals their hearts by pointing out that the very thing they are so proud of and are policing other on, they are guilty of breaking themselves.

Application

We are so event oriented in our society. Worship is for guitar-driven segments in our Sunday morning services. Bible study is that time we read it during our LIFE Groups. Prayer is the time just before I pass out on my pillow at night or the action reserved for moments of great desperation. Everything is segmented off in our minds, but not in God's. From His grand perspective He sees it all at once. We soon find out that His response to our worship is not determined by our ceremony or ritual, but rather by our heart actions leading up to that moment. Jesus uses a couple of examples in this chapter to point out how God sees worship:

1.        Abandoning parents in need when is an inconvenience. Where's the honor in that? What makes me think I can honor God with my songs if my actions leading up to it haven't been honoring of those He has called me to care for?

2.        A filthy and undisciplined thought life. If I am lusting, full of anger, or thinking about how I can advance my own cause, what make me think I can come before the Lord pretending that my words come from a pure heart? He can't touch that kind of worship. It's tainted and mixed.

We can, like the Pharisees, miss the forest for the trees. We can get so good at looking good and yet our hearts can remain far from God.

Prayer

There's this song from Casting Crowns entitled "Lifesong". It speaks of a lifestyle of worship and not just an event. I think of times when I get angry with my kids or frustrated with people, or let my eyes wander and then find myself with my guitar wondering why I can't connect with You. This is why. Worship is my Lifesong to You. My actions will determine if my offering is a sour note and off key or if is a beautiful sound that pleases Your ears. Let my Lifesong sing to You.