A time will come, however, indeed it is already here, when the true, genuine, worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth (reality); for the Father is seeking just such people as these as His worshipers. God is a spirit, a spiritual Being and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth, reality.
John 4:23-24
I love the tender story of Jesus with the woman at the well. I love that the most unlikely person, the most unacceptable person is the one He chooses to review He was the Messiah too.
It is interesting that right after Jesus speaks the truth about her life, she asks Him about worship. I wonder if deep inside her was a yearning to worship God in truth and that is why as soon as she decides He’s a prophet that she starts seeking the answers she needs.
We were created to worship God and it’s no surprise that our need as humans to worship things is so consuming. I don’t think we even realize how much we need to worship. Football fans worship their teams, we worship actors, reality tv stars, authors, musicians, whole industries exist for the worship and adorable of people and things. Like Jesus said to her “you do not know what you worship (v22).
She wanted the truth, because customs and traditions said to worship on the mountains but the Jews said to worship at the Temple. How often do we find ourselves in this situation? How many churches have a sales pitch based on the praise and worship. Some even go to the extreme of having a million different services on Sunday for each type of music style possible. I know I’m being silly and I don’t mean to offend but it all seems too staged.
Like the song says, “when the music fades, and all is stripped away, and I simply come, longing just to bring something that’s of worth, that will bless Your heart.”
“Worship the Father in spirit, from the heart, the inner self, and in truth”. This is what He is seeking. A time is coming, it is already here…
We have had the luxury for too long of casual worship. The inner self doesn’t worry about the noise or lights or words, just truth.
It sees past the lies of our circumstances, tradition, ritual, habit and comes from that deep-down desire for fellowship with God.
When we find ourselves in this place, we can sing a Hallelujah not based on our emotions or our mood or our circumstances but simply because God is good and His steadfast love for us endures forever.