People honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me.

They worship me in vain, their teachings are but rules taught by men.

Matthew 15:8

Jesus watched how people twisted the scriptures to profit from their own agenda. He quoted Isaiah the prophet.

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.

Isaiah 29:13

The Prophet Isaiah criticized the people for their hypocritical actions. Their claim to be close to God proved to be a farce by their continued disobedience, which eventually brought judgment upon themselves.

It's easy to quote just a portion of scripture when it benefits our cause, or makes us "look good" to others. We are told, "love your neighbor as yourself," yet how many of us go out of our way to actually help someone in need? We tell God we will do anything He asks, yet we won't even talk to our neighbor about their salvation. Many times we do things to be seen of others, not to please the heart of God.

Does any of this sound familiar? I've caught myself in this trap a few times. Matthew 6:2 tells us these kind of actions will give us man's reward, not our Heavenly Father's.

 If we truly love the Lord we will keep His commandments. If our heart really does follow hard after God we will want to obey His Word and do what He asks of us. 

I encourage you today to take inventory of your life. Where is your heart? Is it set on your own agenda or Father God's purpose? Are you wanting man's approval or the Lord's? The rewards and recognition this world gives is fleeting. I don't know about you my friend, but I desire my Father's eternal rewards. He is my Abba Father, my Daddy God. I choose to serve Him with my whole heart and be obedient to the best of my ability.

How about YOU?