Probably the most important point God is teaching the Israelites in Deuteronomy 12 is that the Israelites were not just to worship however they wanted. They were to worship God’s way.
We are not under the same covenant that the Israelites were. But even under the new covenant, we can’t simply worship the way we want.
According to Jesus, we are to worship God in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24).
That doesn’t mean merely performing religious rituals or singing worship songs.
To worship in spirit means that God has our whole hearts. Our whole lives, everything we say and do, becomes worship to him. (Romans 12:1)
To worship in spirit also requires worshiping in truth.
For our lives to be pleasing to him, to be worship to him, we must live by his truth.
We cannot make up our own truth, accepting or discarding God’s word as we like. That would be worshiping our way, not God’s. And God won’t accept that kind of “worship.”
That kind of “worship” is not pleasing to him.
How about you? Are you worshiping God’s way?
Are you worshiping in spirit and in truth?
Moment to Moment (Bible blog) 