God's Truth vs. Man's Traditions

S. So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with ‘unclean’ hands?” He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:
“‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’
You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.” And he said to them: “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! (Mark 7:5-9, NIV)

O. Jesus' words are very harsh to the Pharisees, but so true...and especially true for us today. One of my greatest fears in the church is becoming slaves to tradition and ritual rather in than obedient to the Word of God. It is so easy to "do something because we have always done it that way" and only work from tradition. I know these words are said in good faith, but we must be careful to examine the motive behind everything we do in the church. Jesus said about the pharisees, "you have let go of the commands of God..." and that is my real fear. The only way that I can keep hold of God's commands and truth is by being in a right relationship with him on a daily basis. If I don't understanding His Word, the Bible, and know what truth is in it, than I really can't stand on His truth...and the likelihood of making my own tradition is very high. As a disciple of Jesus Christ, I just be constantly reading and studying God's Word...I must be maintain communication with Him through prayer and listening and I must be open to hearing his truth from others around me.

A. I really want to be a person who lives by God's truth and His commands found in the scriptures. I so want to honor God with my life and not get caught up in the traditions of man. So, I will continue a daily pursuit in my relationship with Jesus Christ and honor Him in all that I do.

P. Lord, I love you and your Word. Today, I give my life to obey your truth and live for you. I will daily surrender my life for your service and will. Keep my pointed in your direction, working for Your will in my life. Amen