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Thursday Devotional

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Scripture Reading: Matthew 15:1-9

Title: Beyond Going Through the Motions

Key Verse: Matthew 15:8–9 (ESV) ~ ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

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Devotional:

A groundskeeper at a beautiful garden noticed something troubling. The ornamental pond, once crystal clear and teeming with life, had become murky and stagnant. Despite its decorative fountain still running on schedule and its carefully maintained borders, the water had stopped flowing properly. Soon, algae bloomed, mosquitoes bred, and the fish began to die. The problem wasn't the pond's appearance—it still looked maintained from a distance. The issue was that the water had stopped truly circulating.

This mirrors what Jesus confronted when He encountered the Pharisees. They maintained all the religious appearances—they knew the rules, followed the ceremonies, and looked spiritually impressive. But their hearts had become like stagnant water. Their worship had become mere routine, disconnected from genuine relationship with God.

The danger isn't in having spiritual disciplines—reading Scripture, praying, attending worship—these are vital. The danger comes when these practices become empty motions we perform while our hearts remain distant from God. When we pray without really talking to Him, read the Bible without expecting Him to speak, or attend church without truly seeking His presence, we risk spiritual stagnancy.

God desires our hearts, not just our habits. He wants genuine engagement, not religious performance. Fresh spiritual life requires allowing God's Spirit to flow through our practices, keeping our faith vibrant and growing rather than letting it become a stagnant pond of routine.

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Additional Passages for Reflection:

• Jeremiah 17:7-8 (The tree planted by water)
• Revelation 3:14-22 (The lukewarm church at Laodicea)

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