They honour me with their lips

“Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:” - Isaiah 29v13

It is easy to say, “Praise the Lord” and to pay Him lip service in our daily walk as well as in worship. There are vast numbers of people in hundreds of churches who do that everyday. The people of Jerusalem in Isaiah’s day were doing the same thing. They, “drew near with their mouths,” and they, honoured God with their lips,” but there was a major problem. “They have removed their heart from me,” was God’s response.

As we look at our lives we may fairly ask the same question, “Do out hearts back up what we say with out lips?” Or, do we say one thing and do another? The end of the verse is intriguing as well – “their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men.” It is tragic when our view of God is determined by the precepts of men instead of His word.

Do our hearts match our words? Do we see our fear of God in His eyes or in the eyes of men? Our lives must reflect a heart which truly follows God instead of trying to please men.