From The Heart

Isaiah 29:13-14 (NIV)
¹³ The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.
¹⁴ Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

We must be careful not to fall in this same state that God denounces in Israel. Worship that does not include a heart for God is not worship at all. Going through the motions is only activity. Going to church does not constitute worship. Spending an hour with friends, singing a few hymns, shaking the pastor’s hand on the way out does not mean that that we have worshipped God. Our heart must be present and fully given to the Father. That is the only true thing we have to give to the Creator of all things.

If we do not feel some sense of the wonder, splendor, awe, and glory of the Lord, should we not question how close we came to His presence? If we do not feel the warmth of His love and Spirit, can we say that we have worshipped?

Worship takes place in the heart. It is the heart God seeks, and the heart that God will judge. It is with the heart we answer God. It is with the heart we experience His wonder. Head knowledge will not save us. Loving Him and worshipping Him with all that we are will.