Worship is More Than a Song

Have you ever tried to do something, but your heart wasn't really in it? It's dry, it's empty. You chip away at it out of habit. The sense of ritual is what takes over, and the thing itself becomes meaningless. You keep going because … well, that's what you do. And some of those songs … man, they're awe-inspiring. Over half a million have been published over the last decade alone. But none of that - none of it - impresses God one iota if your heart's not in it. Can I tell you, for a lot of people who call themselves Christians, that pretty much sums up their relationship with God. They might go through the motions, they might even drag themselves along to church now and then and stand there with everyone else singing all these great new worship songs, but deep down … their heart's not in it. Isaiah 29:13-14 The Lord said: Because these people approach Me with their mouths to honour Me with lip-service —yet their hearts are far from Me, and their worship consists of man-made rules learned by rote — therefore I will again confound these people with wonder after wonder. The wisdom of their wise men will vanish, and the understanding of the perceptive will be hidden. (HCSB) The executive summary? God's not impressed with us singing songs. He doesn't want our music, He wants our hearts. And that, some days, ain't easy. As Charles Spurgeon put it, "There are some whose hearts are not right toward God who nevertheless are very zealous about the externals of divine worship. It's much easier to build a temple for God than it is to be a temple for God." Worshipping God is so much more than singing songs. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.