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True Worship
John 4:19-26
Vs.23,24 But the hour is coming, and is now here,
when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for
the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those
who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
In our family room, we have a painting of the
Samaritan woman carrying an empty jug toward Jesus who is sitting by the
well. Everyday I see this painting and everyday I am reminded that this
woman recognized Jesus the Messiah. Once she knew who He was, she went
praising God and sharing the good news of the Messiah.
The Samaritan woman meets Jesus at the well around
noon which is hottest time during the day. She came to the well with an
empty jar to collect water. He shares with her of what true worship is.
True Worship is from the Heart: This woman was of
mixed heritage and had a bad reputation; regardless of her background,
Jesus speaks to her. He reminds her that salvation is given to anyone who
accepts Him. It doesn’t matter if you are a Samaritan, Jew, or Malayalee.
Our worship is for an almighty God who doesn’t look at the outward
appearance but looks deep inside our heart. When we go to church, are we
going to church just because it is something we are supposed to do or are
we coming to church to worship the creator of the universe, the one who
gives eternal life, and loves us unconditionally?
True Worship is a Response: Christ explains that He
has water that leads to eternal life. From one conversation, the
Samaritan woman immediately recognized that the Messiah is coming and
that He is here. Worship is our response to the greatness of our God and
a response to what He has done for us. Through prayer, we are able to
draw closer to God. Worship honors and glorifies God when we are draw
near to Him.
True Worship can occur anywhere: Worship does not have
to occur only Sunday mornings at church. It can occur anywhere and
anytime- in your drive to work, on your walk to class, or in your room.
Our hearts are reflected in our worship. Paul and Silas were in jail and
they were still singing praises to God. Even when we are going through
hardship, there is always a reason to worship.
We are broken people
living in a broken world; yet we have a Savior who makes us new and that
is something to worship about. Just like the Samaritan woman filled her
empty jar with Christ, we need to fill our jars with Him. As we fill
ourselves with Christ, we pour out praises and proclaim the Gospel to
everyone. How do we fill ourselves with Christ? We need to build our
relationship with Him. Prayer is our method of communication to God. We
are able to talk to Him 24/7. He is always ready to listen. We need to
pray unseasonally and unconditionally. We need to be thirsty for Jesus
and for His everlasting mercy and love. Through persistent prayer, we are
able to ask God to change our sinful habits and mold us into His image.
Through persistent prayer, we are able to fill our jars with Christ and
pour out praises.
PRAYER
Lord, we pray that we would fill our jars with you and
that we would continuously pour out praises. Help us to remember that our
worship is all about you. Help us to draw closer to you in the good times
and bad times and remember that you are good. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
“Worship is our response, both personal and corporate,
to God for who He is, and what He has done; expressed in and by the
things we say and the way we live”- Louis Giglio
Reba Varghese, Chicago MTC, IL
Christian
Education Forum, Diocese of NAE of the Mar Thoma Church
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