◄ What Does John 4:24 Mean? ►

Religious men often seek to worship God through symbolic acts, man-made rituals, fleshly works, or emotional outbursts, but God desires a worshipful heart that is clean before Him, dependent upon Him, submissive to Him, and full of humility and grace.

God is eternal, and God is Spirit, and God made man in His own image and likeness. At the innermost core of man's innermost being we have a human spirit which was designed for 'spirit to Spirit' fellowship with our God (a mutual, loving communion with our Heavenly Father).

God in His grace had slowly and beautifully unveiled Himself to His creation as our Father and Lord, our Provider and Peace, and He revealed Himself as our Healer and Helper, our Shepherd and Shield. And He also disclosed Himself as our Sanctifier, our Righteousness, our Saviour, and our King.

But God is Spirit and man is flesh, and God is not limited by our human failings and fleshly limitation. God is invisible, eternal, omniscient, and omnipresent, and He is not confined to a particular building, nor is He impressed by any outward show of religiosity.

And so in the fullness of time, God sent His only begotten Son to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to son-ship, be returned into fellowship with our Creator, and learn to worship our Father in heaven in spirit and in truth.

God is Spirit, and they that worship God must worship Him in spirit and in truth. There must be no hidden agenda, selfish motive, religious pride, or hypocritical heart. Worship does not require a series of religious rituals nor is it necessary to have an appointed place of worship: "God is Spirit and they that worship God must worship Him in spirit and in truth."

Though man looks on the outside and is drawn to religious acts of pomp and ceremony, God looks on the heart and delights in the one that approaches Him humbly, reverently, and in the fear of the Lord. God is close to those that are humble in heart; He saves those who are crushed in spirit; He feeds those that are hungry for Him, and streams of His living water will flow in and through the man or woman that worships the Lord in spirit and in truth.

Heavenly Father, thank You that You sent Jesus to be born as a man Who was not subject to our limitations and fleshly leanings, but Who lived His life as the perfect example of a man. He walked in spirit and truth, trusting Your Word, in humble submission to the Holy Spirit, and in full dependence upon the Father. I pray that, like Christ, I may live my life trusting Your Word, in submission to the Holy Spirit, and in total dependence upon You so that I may worship You as You desire, in spirit and in truth, to Your praise and glory. In Jesus' name, AMEN.