Food, Fat and Blood...Is that all we give to God?

This morning in my Bible reading I read part of chapter 44 of Ezekiel. Yep almost done with the book! It has been an awesome study! I think I'll share the highlights once I'm done, but these are the verses I read this morning:

Ezekiel 44:6-9

Say to the rebellious house of Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Enough of your detestable practices, O house of Israel! In addition to all your other detestable practices, you brought foreigners uncircumcised in heart and flesh into my sanctuary, desecrating my temple while you offered me food, fat and blood, and you broke my covenant. Instead of carrying out your duty in regard to my holy things, you put others in charge of my sanctuary. This is what the Sovereign LORD says: No foreigner uncircumcised in heart and flesh is to enter my sanctuary, not even the foreigners who live among the Israelites.

When I read the part where God says "while you offered me food, fat, and blood, and broke my covenant" I stopped. What did he mean by that? The sacrifices? Isn't that what he called the people to do? Yes that is exactly what he called His people to do, but he didn't want the food, fat and blood - He wanted them! He wanted their devotion! He wanted their hearts! He wanted communion with them, not empty ritual! Instead the Israelites thought so little of God, so little of His covenants, so little of all the things he had and continued to do for them that they brought foreigners into his sanctuary, desecrating His temple! Instead of carrying out their God given duties and responsibilities, they thought so little of God's ways that they had other people do it! People who were not even God's chosen people! Foreigners who were uncircumcised in heart and flesh were allow to enter His sanctuary!

WOW! That blew me away! It made me think "do I just practice empty rituals for God? Is all I do just food, fat and blood, while I break His covenants?! God doesn't want me to do anything just because it needs to be done, or it's the way we've always done it! He wants me! He wants you! He wants your heart and soul to be dedicated to him because you love Him and want sweet communion with him! Are we today like the Israelites of old, where we put so little stock in our relationship with him that we allow others to do what we should be doing? Do we think so little of God's laws and covenants (that he still is keeping today) that we would allow his temple to be desecrated?

God wants so much more for us! He had so much more planned for His chosen people too, but Praise be to God because of their sin and rebellion we were grafted in! We do not want to become like them though. Let's be real and worship God for real! Let's stop practicing Lip service to day, and offer God the best - OUR LIVES!

Matthew 15: 8 & 9

'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.

.1 John 3:18-20

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything