“But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship Him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.” — John 4:23-24
When we think of worship, I’m sure that most of us think of a location like a church building or perhaps a small gathering in a home. We go to church to worship the Lord. We sing songs and hymns of praise and adoration and hope to experience some degree of uplifting emotion. Our desire is to realize the presence of God in our midst.
Worship often produces such feelings of great joy and excitement and well it should. Emotional responses to the glory and presence of God, have always been appropriate, when done in order and reverence because God has given us the subjective response of emotion. He has made us in such a way that we cannot think or contemplate spiritual things without internal and outward responses. But what happens if we fail to achieve a certain feeling? Suppose the hymns or praise choruses selected by others are not to our liking? Or we don’t respond to a certain ministry style? Have we failed to worship God? Must we wait for another time? Perhaps there’s more to worshiping God than what we may experience in a worship service.
The Greek word for worship is proskuneo from pros meaning “to or toward” and kuneo meaning “to kiss, adore.” Literally, it expresses a kiss toward someone, or to blow a kiss of respect or homage. It is used over forty times in the NT. Some scholars believe the word actually is derived from the idea of a dog licking its masters hand. I’m sure you pet owners know what that’s like!
For the believer however, true worship is an act of adoration performed by us toward God. He is the sole recipient and the object of our affection. In our worship, we also get to “blow kisses” to Him! A great word picture isn’t it?
True worship, however, is not just confined to what we do in a church setting when we come together to sing “psalms, hymns and spiritual songs” (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16). The heart of worship should encompass every part of our lives, as we acknowledge the Lordship of Christ.
We worship God by reading and studying His word. We worship God by hearing the preaching and teaching of His word. We worship God by honoring His word. We worship God by praying and thanking him every day. We worship God by loving His Son and giving our lives and our resources to Him in loving obedience—and by loving one another. And someday we’ll all be joining the group in heaven for the greatest worship of all. I plan to be there. How about you? Maranatha!
“Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing ‘To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!'” (Revelations 5:13).
To help us walk closer with God and to know Him better
