Stop bringing meaningless offerings
by Alexander Smiley from the Hour of Silence 1899 Stop bringing meaningless offerings.
Your incense is detestable to me, new moons, sabbaths, and
convocations. I cannot bear your evil assemblies,
your new moon festivals, and your appointed feasts my soul
hates. They have become a burden to
me. I am weary of bearing them. Isaiah chapter 1 verse 13 and
14 It is not mere outward ritual
which God asks from me. God desires my adoration, a sense
of His solemn and consummate holiness, a bowing low in heart
and mind before the sevenfold radiance of His Majesty, a realizing
of His infinite condescension in suffering and dying for me.
I cannot be too reverent when I am face to face with Him. God
desires my confession, a feeling of the evil of my doings, not
superficial but deep and penetrating, an abhorring of myself, and a
repentance in dust and ashes, a cry from the depths, in me
dwells no good thing. I have need to understand more
vividly, more humblingly, the exceeding sinfulness of sin. God desires my petitions, a sincere
pouring out of my soul's desires, a taking fast hold of God's almighty
strength, a clinging with both hands earnestly to the rock of
ages. Simply, naturally, explicitly,
Wholeheartedly, let me unbosom my necessities to him, that he
may answer them according to his wise and holy will. God desires my thanksgiving,
thanksgiving which is thanks-living also, a humble ceasing to do
evil, and a patient learning to do well, a glad and grateful
obedience, a bond-slave's vow, I love my Master, I will not
go out free. Jesus Christ asks all, from the
innermost pulsation of conscious being to the most tangible outworks
of my life. Such is the service my God will
welcome, my God who hates all meaningless offerings and who
is wearied with mere ritualism and formality. you