S. O. A. P.

Here’s Your 90 second AM Devotional!

S-cripture:

Matthew 15:8

These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

O-bservation:

Jesus quoted the words of Isaiah the Prophet (Is. 29:13) when He spoke of the Pharisees. He said, “These law keepers only give Me lip service, but their hearts are not near where I am.”

A-pplication:

Every good Jewish young man was to have memorized the 5 books of the Torah by the age of 13. Jesus was no exception. But His ability to recall Old Testament prophecies to be applied to the era in which He lived was unparalleled. The Pharisees could spit out the Old Testament with the best law-abiding citizens on the planet, however their application of the Prophecies, Laws, and Teachings of that material was lousy. There was “No Bend” in any of it whatsoever. There were NO Exceptions, Period. Here’s the problem, when Grace is not present in your faith, keeping the law is better known as … “The Grind.” There’s no “relationship with God factor.” And, there’s no “heart motivation to please the Lord factor.” Instead it’s really only “Lip Service,” where Laws and To Do Lists are promoted over Love, the Golden Rule, and a Passion for the Lord. In other words … the individual is now going through … “The Grind,” while that same person’s HEART is 1,000,000 miles away from Jesus. Please pray it never happens to you. “The Grind,” that is.

P-rayer:

Dear Jesus,

Early this AM, I am aware of Your Love and Care for me. I know of Your sacrifice on my behalf. I don’t want this to be a “One Way” relationship. I threw “The Grind” out a long time ago. My HEART is with You! Amen