“WHAT GOD REALLY WANTS”

1 Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? 2 All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.”

Isaiah 66:1-2

St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City is the biggest church building in the world. It can accommodate up to 60,000 people standing and about 20,000 sitting.

“To commemorate St. Peter, Emperor Constantine I decided to build a church in the Vatican and pay tribute to his sacrifice. The tomb of the Apostle rests below the church, with an altar built precisely over it.”

“Made as a symbol of pride, St. Peter’s Basilica is grand by all measures. Measuring 448.1 feet, St. Peter’s Basilica consists of the tallest dome in the world. Its vast interiors cover more than 3.7 acres, while the entire area of the basilica is about 2.3 hectares.”

According to historians, the Roman Empire spent about $33 billion in today’s currency to build this church building.

“The majestic monument is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Rome.”

Sources:

https://www.st-peters-basilica-tickets.com/st-peters-basilica-facts/#

https://www.archeoroma.org/sites/papal-basilica-st-peter-vatican/

From an architectural, and engineering standpoint, St. Peter’s Basilica sits at the pinnacle of human craftsmanship. But its beauty and cultural significance does not necessarily translate to God’s approval.

The same thing can be said of the Temple in Israel during the Old Testament times. The building was a marvel to look at, but the people turned it from a house of worship of God to a den of thieves and adulterers.

Today’s passage talks about the future of Israel, when it finally acknowledges Jesus as its Lord. While they will build a new temple and restore the sacrifices, God will be (and has been) more interested in their hearts than the building itself.

Our God is the Maker of all things; at the same time, He is a personal God. We can’t build anything that can contain Him. We can’t give Him anything that’s not His. But despite His majesty, He seeks to have a personal relationship with us.

The Bible shows us that God is more concerned about our hearts’ condition than anything we can give Him. He wants our hearts to be fully yielded to Him. That’s what worship is about. It is the human soul being in awe and amazed of the beauty, glory, and majesty of the Almighty.

God, the Creator of the heaven and the earth, deserves our all-out worship. While we can build great structures for our church meetings or use different kinds of instruments for our worship services, none of these is more important than our hearts. He doesn’t dwell in buildings, but He does in the heart of a humble, contrite person who trembles at His word.

Pursue the Savior today!