INTRODUCTION

The Bible-believing student rejects the idea of coincidences within scripture. Every word of God was specifically chosen by the Lord to convey the message He wanted to be conveyed. In Job 8:13So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish:
See All..., the Lord sheds light on the root of the hypocrite’s problems when he connects the paths of "all that forget God" with the hope of the hypocrite. A hypocrite is a person who presents himself as one thing, while in reality, he is something else altogether. He may fast to send the message that he loves God, but does so to be seen of men. He may pray to God to be heard by men. In the end, his greatest problem is that he has forgotten that the all-seeing, all-knowing God knows the difference.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

• (For smaller children) Whatever we do should be done for the Lord (Colossians 3:22-23 [22] Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God; [23] And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
  See All...). The Pharisees seemed religious but their hearts weren't right. They wanted the praise of men (Matthew 6:2Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
  See All...; Matthew 23:5But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
  See All...a). Jesus compared them to dirty cups (Luke 11:39And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.
  See All...) and whited sepulchres (Matthew 23:27-28 [27] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. [28] Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
  See All...).
• In what ways does a hypocrite forget God? Who becomes the focus of the hypocrite’s attention? How does it ultimately cause him to fall?
• Who should we seek to please? How would a desire to please God change how we live? How would it affect the parts of our lives not seen by men?

PRAYER NEEDS

• Ask the Lord to help you seek to please Him.
• Ask God to guard you against forgetting Him.

HYMN

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

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