Today’s 333 Devotional: “Wrongly Worshiping God”

High places were sanctuaries built upon a hill where the children of Israel would worship false gods.

But these High Places never started out this way. Instead, they were places where Israel would go to worship the Lord.

After Shiloh and the tabernacle was destroyed, people needed to worship God, so they began doing it in High Places. We see the prophet Samuel going up to the High Place along with soon to be King Saul where sacrifices to God were made (1 Samuel 9:19-25).

Even after the temple was built, and before synagogues became the place where those living outside Jerusalem would worship the Lord and study His word, the High Places served this purpose within the community.

Although their initial purpose seemed right, these High Places became the center of idolatry because God never ordained Israel to worship Him in that way. And what ended up happening is that God condemned these places of worship through the prophets.

From our perspective today, when we start worshipping God in un-prescribed ways, even though they may start out godly, what happens is they soon become traps and idolatry in our lives.

What are those High Places today? It would be those things that start out right but turn into idolatry.

Religious Doctrine

These are teachings that have divided Christianity, and in a sense de-unifying it. It’s where people talk more about a particular doctrine than they do about the Lord, like Calvinism verses Arminianism.

Rules and Rituals

It’s where Christians are so concerned about keeping the law that they forget the heart or spirit of the law, like the type of bread that’s eaten at communion.

We combat today’s High Places, through a Psalm 27:4 attitude.

“One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.” (Psalm 27:4)