“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and Truth.” John 4:24
I knew a pastor who went on a personal retreat to a cabin in the north woods. He was discouraged and wanted to spend time alone with God. As he immersed himself in God’s Word and spent time in prayer, he felt God speaking to him, it seemed the voice speaking was almost audible.
He said, “You are not leading the people to worship Me!” It stopped him in his tracks! “You can have great fellowship….good teaching…..exciting music and children’s programs, but are you truly leading the people to worship Me?” The pastor asked himself, “Am I giving God the glory due Him? His majesty? His holiness? His love, wisdom and power?” True worship comes from the heart!
If you were to total the number of minutes in your week, how much of your time is spent in actual worship? Some people don’t connect worship with their lives and think it is only a Sunday morning experience. The rest of the week, they disconnect their lifestyle from Christ. Worship is not a one hour event on Sunday, it’s a way of life!!! It’s to be continuous! 24/7! The Bible talks about praising Him from sunrise to sunset. “From the rising of the sun to its going down, the Lord’s name is to be praised.” Psalm 113:3
The Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost.” Luke 19:10. But why did He seek us? The Father wanted worshipers in spirit (heart) and truth (God’s revealed Word.) God has no needs, but because He is Love, He is seeking people He can have an intimate relationship with.
The Samaritan woman stole out of her house to draw water at the town well in the heat of the day. But who should be seeking her? The God of the Universe! He was waiting for her there, sitting on the well! He had living water to give her! She listened in amazement as He told her everything she had ever done and revealed the true heart and source of worship. “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” John 4:23. Jesus declared Himself to her and she believed!
True worship results in action. The woman left her water pots and ran to tell the townspeople. The Samaritans had a form of religion, a combination of the Law and honor to local deities, and they worshiped on their sacred mountain, Mount Gerizim. When they approached their temple, they dressed in white gowns, and wore red caps. When Jesus looked up and told his disciples, “lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest,” ( John 4:35) He was watching the Samaritan people wearing their white gowns coming across the fields to worship Him! They were ready! They believed the woman’s testimony and were prepared to fall down before the Savior of the world!
God loves you and created you for His own pleasure and glory! He delights in you! You were created in God’s image! We have the capacity to worship and have a relationship with the God of the universe!
Your friend, Jean