Spiritual disciplines, no matter how much time and energy we devote to them, don't really mean much to God if our heart is divided, and we are passionately pursuing someone or something else above our pursuit of him. Throughout the Old Testament, whenever you read about a revival or awakening, it's almost always closely connected to crushing idols when God's people would turn back to him. They would read Scripture, they would pray, they would sing, and they would worship, but most importantly, they would get rid of the idols in their lives. In Psalm 115, we read that the psalmist is praising God. He puts God in his rightful place and then warn us about what happens to those who settle for idols. It begins in verse 1 by says, “Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.”
When it comes to what we pursue, if we're honest, we'd probably have to put ourselves at the top of the list. It often feels like the most natural thing to pursue is what makes us happy, what satisfies our desires, and what makes us comfortable. And so, one of the reasons that we practice spiritual disciplines is that they teach us to get ourselves off the throne of our hearts and put God where he rightfully belongs. It's declaring our dependence on God and our own insufficiency. By praying the prayer at the beginning of Psalm 115, you're putting God on the throne of your heart, and spiritual disciplines help you live out this prayer.
Reflection/Discussion Question: What idol(s) are currently sitting on the throne of your heart?
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