March 19, 2026

A Heart That Honors YOU

Isaiah 29:30

Matthew 15:9

The Living Bible

Starting at 29:30 “And the Lord says, “Since these people say they are mine but they do not obey me, and since their worship amounts to mere words learned by rote, therefore I will take awesome vengeance on these hypocrites and their wisest counselors as fools.”

This is when Jesus was rebuking the scribes and pharisees in public.

Matthew 15:9. “And so by your man-made rule, you nullify the direct command of God to honor and care for your parents! You hypocrites!  Well did Isaiah prophesy of you! These people say they honor Me, but their hearts are far away! Their worship is worthless, for they teach their man-made laws instead of those from God!”

Jesus (and God through Isaiah) said, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me,” because He recognized the false piety and spiritual acting of these Jewish religious leaders. They claimed with their mouths and lips to love, honor, and worship God, but their hearts rebelled against Him.  

In Matthew 6:2-4,  Jesus presented an example of how we might honor God with our lips yet, at the same time, have hearts that are far from Him: “When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you”.

What He wants from us is to stop doing lip service and rituals that mean nothing to Him as you are getting even further away from HIM.  Stop listening to the false prophets and turn back to Him with a heart that desires to HONOR, WORSHIP and PRAISE HIM!  Open up YOUR HEART and LISTEN TO HIM! 

PRAYER:   Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus and Holy Spirit!   Thank you for hearing my prayers and for all that YOU do for me!  I Praise Your Name above all others!

Please, come down and OPEN my eyes, my ears, and heart so that I can turn away from the hypocrites of this world, and run away from their wicked ways!  I do not want to be counted among those who will be thrown into the fires, but rather to come into YOUR LOVE, PROTECTION, and GLORY! 

Take this lamb who is covered in dirt, and bathe me in YOUR Love, Peace and Forgiveness.  Place me gently back with YOUR LAMBS and hold me tight in YOUR STRONG and LOVING ARMS.

AMEN!