This is the third installment about the woman at the well. So if you haven’t had the chance to read the previous posts, I’d encourage you to check them out.
The Samaritan woman said to Jesus, “Our ancestors worshipped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place we must worship is in Jerusalem.” The Samaritans built a temple on top of Mount Gezirim. This was considered to be a holy site of theirs. They did this because they believed this was the place where Abraham sacrificed Issac. This wasn’t based on fact though. Jesus responds and lets her know that it won’t matter in the future where people worship. He then makes a decisive statement. “You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation in from the Jews.”(John 4:22)
Then we get to the passage above. “Yet a time is coming and has now come when true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.”(vs.23) We don’t have to be sitting in a church or be in a holy place to worship God. We can worship Him anywhere. Why? Because the Holy Spirit lives inside us as believers. The temple of God is found in our heart. Since Covid began and churches stopped meeting on a weekly basis, this has caused me to miss corporate worship. Though, my worship for the Lord has grown tremendously. I find myself singing to God as I take my dog Daisy for a walk. Or I sing to God as I do chores around the house. I’ve also begun including worship in my daily times with God which has only increased the richness of my time in His presence.
Jesus goes on to say, “God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship Him in Spirit and in truth.”(vs.24) What does it mean that God is spirit? “God is a spirit, an infinite and eternal mind, an intelligent being, immaterial, invisible, and incorruptible.”(Matthew Henry) We must worship God in truth. We need to sing out truth about who God is, our infinite and eternal one. We need to declare who He is to ourselves and others.
Today I’d like you to think about how and when you worship God. Jot it down and then ask God how you can know Him more intimately through worship. “Worship changes the worshiper into the image of the One worshiped.” (Jack Hayford) Let’s worship Him in Spirit and in truth.
Walking In The Light 