“For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him?” (Deuteronomy 4:7)

If Jesus did not leave us His own body and blood as our bread of life, it would not be as easy for us to understand the message of Deuteronomy: that God is so near to His people.

It is an indisputable fact that Jesus is willing to be close to us. However, He also gives each of us complete freedom to choose whether to accept His invitation to closeness or not. He hopes to see a complete change in our hearts, not just paying lip service with empty words of praise when they are not truly heartfelt. Through the prophet Isaiah, Jesus reminds us, “This people draws near with words only and honors me with their lips alone, though their hearts are far from me, and their reverence for me has become routine observance of the precepts of men.”

How should we praise the Lord truly from our hearts? The essence of praising the Lord requires nothing more than fulfilling our duties to the best of our abilities and loving everyone around us.