Isaiah 29:13, 14 “And the Lord said: ‘Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men, therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.’”

Jesus is quick to quote this verse in regards to the Pharisees and scribes. He was quick to point out that they were exactly who Isaiah was talking about in these verses. His term for them was hypocrites. Their fear of God was a product of teaching rather than faith. They could quote the Tora and argue its points, but they did not really believe what it said. How easy it is to preach one thing and live another. People go to worship and say ‘amen’ but then leave and live a totally different life. Isaiah says they hide their true selves and say who can see us. Things will not end well for these people.

In the last days, we are told that people will try to hide in the rocks, imploring them to fall on them so that God cannot see them. Make no mistake, there is no hiding from God. He sees in the dark as well as in the light. God sees into the heart. No matter how much we pretend to be religious or faithful, we cannot fool God.

Task for Today: Forget your mouth and lips for a moment. Forget your Bible reading and time in prayer. Don’t count the trips to a church service or how much you give to the work of that church. Focus today on your heart. Where is your heart? For instance, regardless of your contribution, is it cheerfully given? Is your singing a sign of your love of music or an outpouring of heart? You see where this is going, right? It’s not too late to change if you need to.