Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Worship life Vs daily life
Isaiah. 1:10-20

" Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts my soul hates. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them”. (Isaiah 1:14)

What a humiliating shock the people must have had when they heard Isaiah compare the holy city of Jerusalem to the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah!  The disgusting thing about this rebellious people is that they were also a religious people.
Worship should refine our inner spirituality:  They attended the temple services and brought a multitude of sacrifices to the Lord, but their hearts were far from God and their worship was hypocritical. Sacrifices alone can never please God, for along with the outward observance, God wants inward obedience, a broken heart, and a godly walk. Judah's worship of Jehovah was iniquity, not piety, and God was sick of it! Instead of lifting up "holy hands" in prayer (1 Tim 2:8), their hands were stained with blood because of their many sins.
God pardons our sins rather than punishes: The average church allocates about 5 percent of its budget for reaching others with the Gospel, but 30 percent for buildings and maintenance. At a time when the poor and the aged are pleading for help, churches are spending huge amounts a year on new construction. Where churches have life and growth, such construction may be needed, but too often the building becomes "a millstone instead of a milestone," Isaiah didn't stop with the diagnosis but also gave the prescription, because he wanted Judah to be a righteous people.  Instead of pronouncing judgment, the Judge offered pardon! If they would cleanse themselves by repenting and turning from sin (vv. 16-17) then God would wipe the record clean in response to their faith (Isa 1:18). God had every reason to punish His people for their sins but in His grace and mercy He offered them His pardon.
Prophet is very clear in his message by saying that the worship life and daily should go parallel. But today we all worship God with a hand full of blood and with wrong ways of life where we do not do justice to the widow orphan and the poor. God cannot accept our prayers in such worship. So the religious life should promote and ensures a daily spiritual life with justice and peace.

Prayer: Living God we praise you for the freedom to worship you but let our worship be reflected in our daily spiritual life. Amen

Rev. V. M. Mathew, NY






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