I want my relationship with God to be more than something learned by rote. I want it to be real and raw and powerful and dependent. I want it to be deeper than it is and more trusting than I am…

“And their reverence for me consists of tradition learned by rote…” Isaiah 29:13

Many churches linger on traditions learned by rote. There’s nothing inherently wrong with the church. The church is God’s creation, but it is the heart of man that so often becomes the issue.

Isaiah 29 continues on to discuss individuals who act contrary to the initial purpose of these “traditions”. In secret, they act as if God can’t see them. It’s a human tendency. When no one is looking, who are we really? Don’t be so quick to assume this passage couldn’t apply to you…Honestly, we’re all a bit messy!

The following verse arrives at the end.

“But when he sees his children, the work of My hands, in his midst, Indeed they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob.” Isaiah 29:23

God wants our reverence towards Him to be genuine, raw, and real. He wants us to honor Him with our daily habits. We can’t hide secrets from our Creator. Church, baptism, communion, are all great things, but they don’t please God aside from a real relationship with Him. God sees through our motives. We do things with the desire to be a good person, to fit in, to please our families, to please the church, but those things don’t necessarily please the One we were made to pleasure. God wants our hearts in their entirety. He wants them daily. He wants them seeking after Him. There’s a huge difference between traditions and living a life of reverence. When we finally realize this, it transforms our identity.