Verse of the Day - John 4:24

God is Spirit. Those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.
~ John 4:24 (NCV)

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In John 1, John provides a simple prologue to the gospel of Jesus Christ:

. . . to all who did accept him and believe in him [Jesus] he gave the right to become children of God. They did not become his children in any human way—by any human parents or human desire. They were born of God.
~ John 1:12-13 (NCV)

In John 3, Jesus talks to Nicodemus and tells him that flesh gives birth to flesh and spirit gives birth to spirit. If we are not spiritually born, we are spiritually dead.

In John 4, Jesus speaks to the woman at the well and says that God is spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.

So, if you have believed in Jesus for who He is and what He's done for you on the cross, you are born again and a child of God, right? Okay, so does that mean that you worship in spirit and in truth? Hmm... Maybe, maybe not.

All I know is that even though I am spiritually alive as a believer in Jesus Christ, I don't always bring my spirit to the worship table. Some Sundays, I'm caught up in thinking of a myriad of things, and my spirit is not in my worship. I can sing the songs, listen to the sermon, pray along with the pastor...but my spirit is just not engaged. Ever feel that way?

We have the capacity to worship in spirit, because we've been born of the Spirit. But we must engage our spirit if we are going to communicate our worship on that level. And, it needs to be "in truth". To me, that means heartfelt, for real, no frills or accessories included to make you seem holier than the next guy. Just you and God. No one else in the room really matters when you are worshiping God in spirit and in truth.

Weekends are usually set aside for corporate worship in local congregations. Are we worshiping there in spirit and in truth? What I know from personal experience is that, if my daily worship is lacking, my corporate worship will reflect the same. If I have given myself to God in honest worship throughout the week, my spirit easily communes with Him in the midst of the congregation.

Worshiping God is our highest purpose and greatest pleasure, and it's available to us through the spiritual rebirth of Jesus Christ. Let's be all we can be spiritually by engaging our spirit with His spirit on a daily basis, being honest and open with the Lord, letting Him fill us with His Spirit of Truth. Then, when we meet together as a local congregation, our corporate worship will overflow and fill the sanctuary with His highest praise!

That's what I desire for myself and for my church, because that is fitting for my God. How about you?

Love,
Joelene