Did you know that it is possible to worship God wrong? For many people that seems like an odd thought. I suspect that comes from the idea that God doesn't really care how we worship as long as we do. But the Bible isn't unclear. It offers examples that we should avoid.
Look at King Saul. He was told to completely destroy the Amalekites. Instead, he kept "the best of the sheep and the cattle to sacrifice to the Lord" (1 Sam. 15:15). Bad choice, Saul. It cost him his kingship. What, instead, did God prefer? "To obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams" (1 Sam. 15:22). It's interesting because the concept of the sacrifice as part of worship was God's idea. Still we read "'What to Me is the multitude of your sacrifices?' says the LORD; 'I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats'" (Isa. 1:11). What, then, was God asking for? "I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings" (Hosea 6:6).
It is entirely possible for Christians to do the right thing for the wrong reasons. It is entirely possible, in fact, for us to do what we consider "worship" and end up insulting God. What does God want? He wants our steadfast love. He wants us to know Him. He wants obedience. He wants us to listen. This is the worship He wants. What worship will you offer Him today?
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