But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him.

— John 4:23

1 Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

— Romans 12:1-2

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.

— 1 Corinthians 10:31

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

— Colossians 3:17

15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that confess His name.

16 And do not neglect to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

— Hebrews 13:15-16

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, mercy and love from Christ to you.

The leaders of exiled Israel returnees such as Zerubbabel and Joshua rightly recognized the importance of worshipping God. We believers are spiritual beings created and saved by God. Do we also view worshipping God as the most important matter in our life? What is believers’ true and rightful worship of God that God seeks, deserves, desires and commands? Jesus once said to a Samaritan woman that the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him.

Therefore worship involves much more than singing and going to church. We worship God when we, in spirit and truth, yield our very lives to Him and this happens a thousand ways on all kinds of days. We worship God by thinking about who He is and living under that truth. We worship God when honoring Him matters more than pleasing ourselves. We worship God when His character is reflected in our daily lives. We worship God when His greatness puts lesser pursuits and discouraging obstacles into proper perspective. Worshipping God is a believer’s priority. God obtains the true worship from us when we align our life, our week, and our days on earth to make humble surrender to Him our foremost and passionate desire. Amen!