Pretense or Passion for God

Jeremiah 3:9-10
Because Israel’s immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stone and wood. In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,” declares the LORD.

How often have I turned my back on God; harbored a sour spirit, nurtured a selfish indulgence, perpetuated a rotten habit, wallowed in my flesh, built myself up or torn someone else down... and then returned to Him with the presumption of forgiveness, favor and blessing?

This was the problem with Judah. They sinned and returned in habit but not in heart. They honored God with their lips and hands, engaging in the shell of worship but inside were empty and void of contrition, sorrow for sin, love for their creator or desire for Him. They confessed but did not turn from their rebellion. The offered sacrifices of lambs and bulls but never sacrificed their own sinful, fleshly desires. These were never placed on the altar of God.

And to this empty ritual God said to Judah in verse 11,
"Faithless Israel is more righteous than unfaithful Judah."

To God, the shell of religion is worthless without the heart. He would rather have nothing than meaningless pretense. With nothing we, at the least, have no false presumption of His favor and the world is not led astray by our hypocrisy. Pretense however perverts not only our and others' understanding of God, but also our own understanding of our own unrighteousness. We fool ourselves into thinking that God is content and that we are forgiven and secure.

Do you remember the story of Achan in Ai in Joshua 7? Achan stole away some of the devoted things from Ai while spying it out and God removed his favor from all of Israel. They went into battle with a presumption of favor and strength but the pretense of Achan rendered them vulnerable and weak. It wasn't that Achan engaged in full out idol worship - he just didn't obey God completely. He cut a corner to God's blessing and took matters of blessing into his own hands. It was a matter of trust... or perhaps distrust. But the greater sin was the presumption of blessing in the midst of his pretense.

Am I guilty of coming to God with pretense rather than passion?
Is my desire to win God over or to be won over by Him?
Would I rather that God hear me or that I hear from God?
Am I more concerned with the appearance of my habits than my heart?

As I consider these questions I can't help but hear the words of God to Israel in Jeremiah 2:2-3,
"I remember the devotion of your youth,
how as a bride you loved me
and followed me through the desert,
through a land not sown.
Israel was holy to the LORD,
the firstfruits of his harvest;
all who devoured her were held guilty,
and disaster overtook them,’”
declares the LORD."

Does God still have my heart the way He did when I first fell in love with Him?
Am I still willing to storm the gates of Hell with a squirt-gun in response to His call?
Is my heart still full of love for Him... or am I leaking?
Do I long for His Spirit?... or have I grown accustom to my flesh?
Is the offering I lay before God passionate or pretentious?


Father - capture my heart and fill me again, daily with Your Spirit and Love. Convict my heart of my pretentious offerings and teach me to be sober-minded as I approach Your throne. May my offering be pleasing and acceptable to You. Amen.