This is in vain do they honor

God takes the subject of worship very seriously. It is not something to take lightly to enter the house of God, a place blessed with the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD said when he said, I will be sanctified by those who come near me, and I will be glorified in the presence of all the people" (Levites 10 : 3).

The LORD said : "I will not be treated as an ordinary person. If you want to enter my presence, you must approach carefully and responsibly because of My glory and My majesty. "So many mental distractions can worry us during prayer and worship, especially when we are in the house of God. Jesus treats those who come in His presence as hypocrites while praising them while their minds and hearts are preoccupied. He spoke to them directly : "Hypocrites, Isaiah prophesied well upon you, when he said, This people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. In vain do they honor me" (Matthew 15: 7-9).

And you ? It is very likely that you are in the house of God at least an hour a week. So your body is in the church, but where is your mind ? Your lips say : "I adore you, Lord !" But where do you allow your thoughts to go during worship and worship ? Towards family problems ? Towards worries of work ?

You may be protesting that the things you think of are God's business - your family, your obligations. But keep in mind that the people Jesus was talking to were worshipers who approached Him with their lips. Perhaps they even raised their hands and praised aloud. But where were their hearts and minds while they worshiped ? If their thoughts were elsewhere, then their worship was hypocritical and valueless !

Do not take His holy presence lightly! We must be aware of the holiness of the house of God and enter it with a respectful heart.

David Wilkerson