Tag: relationship

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Beyond ritual to relationship

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Timur Weber on pexels

Some “through the bible” thoughts from Isaiah 58.

“Will you call this a fast,
    and a day acceptable to the Lord?” (Isaiah 58:5)

This whole chapter (Isaiah 58) is convicting. In it, Isaiah challenges us to look at our worship practices. Are they nothing more than ritual? If there’s no horizontal dimension to our spiritual lives, our worship isn’t worship at all. In other words, if our devotion doesn’t affect how we live with others, we’re not worshiping God. We’re just going through the motions.

When love for others is paired with love for God, we get it. He graciously provides food for our souls and an eternal home, and uses us to provide others with physical nourishment and homes. Worship isn’t just about me and God. It’s about God and us, those who intersect our lives every day.

How can you keep your spirituality from becoming nothing more than ritual? Reading this chapter of Isaiah is a good wake up call for those us of, like me, who find that ritual is easier than relationship. The problem is, ritual leaves you further from God. God promises to be closer when we pay attention to each other.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Moving from doing to being

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Miguel Bruna on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Psalm 50.

When something goes wrong, the first thing we ask ourselves is, “What do I need to do?”

The AC’s not cooling the house. The car engine is making an unusual noise. A patch of grass in the yard is dead. An electrical outlet in the house isn’t working. There’s always something to fix.

In Psalm 50, God’s not looking for more ritual. He’s concerned about the relationship. He doesn’t need more sacrifices. The people offer up plenty of those. Instead,

Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
    and perform your vows to the Most High,
and call upon me in the day of trouble;
    I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.

Rituals have a way of making us feel like we’ve done enough. Receiving God’s gifts with gratitude, faithfulness, and trust reminds us that’s he’s done enough. Here the psalmist helps us move from “what do you want me to do?” to “who do you want me to be?”