The Lord is questioning where the respect for His name is. It seems like Israel didn’t mind calling God “father,” but they did not respect him like a child should respect his father. The nation of Israel had become so callous that they didn’t even recognize the position of their heart. They even asked, “How have we shown contempt for your name?” Had they really become so insensitive toward the Lord that they were that blind to their condition? How is that possible?
Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Our hearts can deceive us and lead us away from living a life that honors God. This is true even if we don’t recognize it. Israel thought they were doing the right thing by offering sacrifices on the altar, but God sees much deeper than our outward actions. He sees the motives of our hearts. They were not offering their best. What would it look like to give God your best today?
God, please reveal to us the areas in our life where we are not giving You our best. Show us that You are the most important thing and teach us to surrender to You.