RTW March 17

Worship That God Hates

And never set up sacred pillars for worship, for the LORD your God hates them.
Deuteronomy 16:22

 

 

My Takeaways

Something Old

You shall not plant for yourself any tree, as a wooden image, near the altar: Such sacred totems were common among the Canaanites. Israel might have been tempted to be “seeker sensitive” and add such items to their worship of the God of Israel. He wanted none of it. God says of such thing, “for the LORD your God hates them.”

  • Is my worship common?
  • Am I adding items to my worship?
  • What sacred place of worship do I have that I shouldn’t? Self. Stuff. Career.

Worship that God loves

God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. (ESV) John 4:24

  • Worship in spirit means you are concerned with spiritual realities, not so much with places or outward sacrifices, cleansings, and trappings.
  • Worship in truth means you worship according to the whole counsel of God’s word, especially in light of the New Testament revelation. It also means that you come to God in truth, not in pretense or a mere display of spirituality.

Something New

How different would the life of every Christian be if we kept a copy of God’s Word beside us? (Deuteronomy 17:18-20)

Something to Do

Worship in spirit and truth. Love worship and love the one I worship.

 

 

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7 Comments

  1. God is so amazingly good, kind, loving, and gracious to me! I Love how he has already gone ahead and prepared the last few days readings and lessons just for me! One of the things that I have been convicted of is my worshipnof worship. And He has called me to stop listening to music this week. In my old church dancing was common and I “danced before the Lord” And I see now that it was an Ashersh pole – and added element to my warship that was detestable to the Lord.

    Something new: God knew the people would demand an earthly king and He set out guidelines for it way ahead of time even though it wasn’t his best for the Israelites. This reminds me that He is already in my future making away even in my bad decisions

    To Do: take down all the asherah poles.

  2. My promised land is near. I must never go back to my old ways. God has given me freedom and I never want to go back to slavery again. Deut 17:14,16

    Deut 17:19-20
    Wow. Perfectly clear instructions about reading God’s word everyday and exactly why that’s so important.
    I had slept in yesterday and missed my morning reading time. After a long day I didn’t get it in last night either. Last night I had a hard night. I got angry at my husband, I wasn’t kind in my words to my children. My thoughts raced and went from crazy to extreme thinking (just going to divorce him ?), and I went to bed angry at everyone. I could not believe after just missing 1 day of reading how far off my thinking went. I was stunned. Today’s reminder in verses 17:19-20 was exactly perfect timing. I must read God’s word daily as long as I live. It is good for my spirit and without it, my body and mind go nuts! No WONDER I (my life) have been such a mess during seasons where I have not been in the word daily, and many seasons and years, not at all. If I’m not in God’s word everyday it’s dangerous! Wow.

    Father,
    Give me and everyone in this group a disciplined heart to read your word daily. To make any adjustments to our lives that would keep us from it. Show us how to make the changes necessary to keep your word in front of us and our priority each day. Show us the time that works best and a new way of looking at our schedules.

    I read once that if you don’t have time in your schedule for God, you need a new schedule.

    God, mess with our schedules enough so that we intentionally make that time for you. Help us not to cling to our ways that might tell us we don’t have the time, because if we are truly honest we do. Let us not make any excuses and help us to adjust even if it feels uncomfortable at first. Show us how to go to bed earlier at night so that we can wake earlier in the mornings and start each day in your word.

    Thank you Father for this beautiful picture of worshiping in Spirit and Truth. May our worship always be genuine and our hearts be filled with love and worship of you.
    I know I’ve shared this song before but I love it so much. ❤️

    https://youtu.be/w0dtCbT1wj0

    1. I had the same takeaway about being in God’s Word everyday. I can tell a difference on days that I miss. Deut 8:3 said that we don’t live by bread alone but by God’s Word. It’s so true! That spiritual food can be more necessary to get through my day than regular food! Thank you for you sweet prayer for us all! Praying for you as you continue to battle old patterns of thinking and make progress in Christ!

  3. I have been very sporadic in my reading thus far this year. I’m not working and you would think it would be easy to find that time and do it–but somehow I think about it and don’t follow through. Lord, help me to be more consistent in my study of your Word.

    I found so much in this reading about what we do today and what God says we shouldn’t do. Child sacrifice (abortion), fortune telling, witchcraft, mediums, psychics. Our land needs a total cleaning out of those things that the LORD has forbade.

    This really struck me, I need to hear this at the beginning of every day as I fight the enemies of God:
    Dt. 20:3-4 He (the priest) will say to them, “Listen to me , all you men of Israel! Do not be afraid as you go out to fight your enemies today. Do not lose heart, or panic or tremble before them. For the LORD your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and He will give you victory!”

    1. As I was reading your post, it reminded me of a tip I heard recently to help with being consistent in spending time in God’s Word. The tip was to find a trigger but not one that is related to a specific time and something you typically do every day. For example, when I drink my coffee, then I will read my Bible. Or before I watch TV after dinner, I will read my Bible. Or during my lunch break at work, I will read my Bible.

  4. ~My Something To Do: Pray for our country. There is much evil rampant in it and our justice system no longer acts quickly in many cases to purge the evil.

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