March 26, 2009 True Worship
Today’s Bible Reading: Joshua 23–24; Psalms 44; 1 Corinthians 11
Scripture Focus:
Joshua 24: Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord!
Observation:
I was struck by how similar this verse is to John 4:24 where Jesus tells the Samaritan woman, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
While the style of worship has changed since Jesus became the sacrifice for our sins instead of having to sacrifice animals, the central issue of worship has not changed. It’s possible to go through all the actions of worship and appear very spiritual without actually worshiping God in our spirits, in sincerity, in truth. Worship without sincerity is a lie.
Application:
It’s good to examine my spirit with regularity to see what kind of worshipper I am. Though worship can be faked, God is never hoodwinked.
Prayer:
Father God, give me a vision of who you are so that my worship may be based in reality, in the truth, and flow from a sincere heart.
