TRUE WORSHIPERS

John 4:19-24
19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour comes, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, will you worship the Father. 22 You worship that which you don’t know. We worship that which we know; for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to be his worshipers. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (WEB)

I am continually amazed at how accessible Jesus was for those who were considered outcasts in the religious community of the day. In today's passage of Scripture, Jesus is speaking to the woman at the well who happened to be a Samaritan. In the Jewish culture, Samaritans were not Jews and thus were considered outsiders to the things of God.

Yet Jesus reveals Himself to this outsider in a way that He didn't choose to reveal Himself to the Pharisees. The verses that I want to focus on in this devotional are the ones where Jesus is speaking about true worshipers. He tells this dear lady that those who want to worship the Father must do so in spirit and in truth for God is spirit.

I love the next part of the verse where Jesus says... for the Father seeks such to be his worshipers. I believe that our God and Father loves it when we turn our hearts towards Him. I believe that He actually pursues those who worship Him in spirit and in truth.

So if you are reading this today and you have a burning desire to worship our God and our Father, be encouraged to know that He is seeking you out and pursuing you more than you are pursuing Him!

Romans 12:1
Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. (WEB)