Hosea 6
⁴   O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.
⁵   Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth.
⁶   For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
⁷   But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.

Praise Shmaise, Gimme a Cookie

I don't know why it is, maybe it's because it's my job, that I see lessons about God in some of the strangest places. This one's from our new puppy, Billybob.

Billybob is almost 4 months old now. He's a pretty good pup, though he does the aggravating things that most puppies do. He's now somewhat housebroken and we've taught him to sit on command. We did the latter by giving him a treat (we call them cookies, and our dogs soon learn the vernacular) each time that he sat on command. Billybob has learned the command so well that whenever he sees a cookie, he sits before you can even command him. Also, since cookies are usually dispensed in the kitchen, whenever he sees anyone in the kitchen, he comes in and sits without being asked.

Yesterday as I was letting Billybob in through the sliding door, I commanded that he sit. Obediently, he sat down. At this point I vigorously scratched him behind the ears and explained that sometimes he would only be rewarded with praise. Then Billybob got up, walked into the kitchen and sat down there. It was as if he were saying "Praise shmaise, gimme a cookie." Billybob could see that praise is nice, but after all you can't eat praise. Praise was OK, but he desired some substance.

There is a school of thought that worship and praising God is all that is important. Sometimes this attitude can even find it's way into the church. I personally don't believe that we praise God enough. I don't believe that it's possible to praise our Father enough. However, God desires more from us than praise. Praise alone doesn't do much to accomplish His will in this world.

Sometimes it's easy to become "once a week Christians." We come here on Sunday, we praise God, we worship Him in truth (though sometimes not in spirit) then we go on "with our own lives." We don't think about God, righteousness, temperance, mercy, or anything else of a Godly nature during the rest of the week.

In or text from Hosea, we find the children of Israel, caught in that very trap. They weren't faulted for there accuracy in worship. The burnt offerings and sacrifices might have been accurate, but there was no mercy or knowledge of God in the rest of their lives. God's admonition was that knowing Him, showing mercy, and obeying to the covenant were of greater importance. Elsewhere they are accused of "honoring with their lips when their hearts were far from Him."

Sometimes we shout "Praise the Lord" (maybe every day of our lives) yet we never give ourselves to any sort of service to praise God in that way. We shout "Praise the Lord," and never do anything that would delight Him. We shout "Praise the Lord," and never do anything to accomplish His will in the world. It's at those times that I wonder if God is sitting on His throne thinking, "Praise shmaise, gimme a cookie!" Praise is OK, but God desires and deserves some substance.