Friday; May 2

The Old Testament Jews were known for their relationship with God. They had a special connection with Jehovah that took them through thick and thin. Their relationship with Him morphed from a nation in Egyptian captivity to a time when they were nomads worshipping in a tabernacle to a more urbanized time centered around the temple. Throughout that time, they were giving some pretty specific instructions about how they should worship God. Yet, as they developed as a people, so did their religion. In addition to offering the proper “items” during worship, they were called to have the proper spirit. By the times of the prophets they were told, “Does the Lord take delight in thousands of rams, in ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:7-8). As I read this text, I got to thinking that it is often easier to focus on worship than it is to focus on our neighbors. To translate this into 21st Century Christianity, it is easier to go to church than to love our neighbors. While I am convinced we need to worship in the proper way, we also need to make sure that we treat one another with respect. Not only do we need to do the right things, we also need to treat people in the right way.

Do we need to do a better job with worshipping God? As we contemplate that, let’s also consider if we need to do a better job working with people!

Think About It!


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