Religious Games Or Transformed Hearts .mp3

Isaiah 58 is an impactful passage. It is read during Yom Kippur, a day of fasting, and challenges the superficiality of fasting while witholding acts of compassion and working to free those who are opposed. Verse 3 however in particular exposes the hidden motives of the heart which, as always, The LORD is always most interested in. Our trust in The LORD is revealed not in our statements by word or deeds, but in our actions of every day life and especially of how we treat other people around us. "Love the LORD your GOD" cannot be separated from "Love your neighbour as yourself". Fasting by itself means nothing. If I am fasting but am rude and speak harshly to others with intolerance or a lack of patience, my fasting is in vain. I must ask myself the hard question that requires an honest health check of my heart: am I fasting, or doing "stuff" to make me feel good about myself because I have "ticked the good works box", or is my heart motive to intimately know and bring pleasure to my Heavenly Father's heart? Am I playing a religious game with GOD trying gain merits from Him and/or increased self esteem from how others view me or appear to value my opinion, or am I seeking to do justice, love compassion and walk with my LORD without pride? ( See Micah 6:8) In Isaiah 58:3 GOD reveals that the people were seeking to find their own desire in their fasting. The word seek here is the Hebrew word "matsa" meaning to come upon, to reach or attain. The goal they were seeking was their own desire. The Hebrew word used here is "hefets" meaning delight as in the emotional sense of satisfaction one feels from a job well done. There was however no transformation of the heart. I Corinthians 13 also exposes the motives of the heart. Verse 4 says that love is long suffering and kind. That one statement is one that The Holy Spirit has been spotlighting in my heart for several months.... Ouch!!! The Holy Spirit will reveal to us the hidden motives of our heart. Do we do whatever we do for Him, or is it actually for us? It seems to me that the test of true devotion to The LORD is always in the way we treat other people. In Matthew 5:24 The LORD Jesus says that if we have an issue between us and someone we should seek reconciliation with them first before we leave any gift on God's altar.... Selah Shalom shalom