Devotional - 7/8/02
“Hypocrisy”
Isaiah 66:2b-3
This is the one I esteem:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit,
and trembles at my word.
But whoever sacrifices a bull
is like one who kills a man,
and whoever offers a lamb,
like one who breaks a dog's neck.
I want to speak this morning on hypocrisy.
Nasty word, isn't it? Most of us cringe at it. The media loves to accuse organized religion of it, and most of the time they're right. But I think they're missing the point.
See, the problem isn't organized religion. It's just that we're all still sinful.
Proclaiming faith in God before a church body is just one tiny part of the picture. Performing a worship service is just a drop in the bucket. Christianity is a 24/7 endeavor, and most of us just can't cut it consistently.
So the Lord breaks it down into short, simple sentences, so we can possibly understand better.
"Humble." "Contrite." "Tremble." Not words that most of us like much better than "hypocrite" these days. These words imply timidity and fear, don't they?
Not really. Look closer. ". . .at my word," the Lord says. Our humility has a context. We are to keep before us a healthy respect for God's truth. With this, we can keep the whole of our lives in check.
How does this relate to us as worship leaders? For me, it says that we can't expect our worship to hold any water before the Lord if we don't carry with us a healthy respect for His truth all the time. This means constantly approaching scripture with a humble heart and letting the Lord speak to me through it. I'm learning that hard way that I must make this a daily priority if I want to maintain a consistent walk with God.
Sorry to disappoint you, people, but our sacrifices and offerings just aren't enough. We must maintain a daily walk with God in humility and respect for His Word if we are to break free of the title of "hypocrite." It's a high bar to cross. But if we are diligent, we have God's promise that He will "esteem" us, and for me there would be no greater honor.
- Dale Haas